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■ PROJECT £30-55k ■ USABLE £60-85k ■ GOOD £90-120k ■ EXCELLENT £150k+ ■ PRICE NEW £1263
RALLY REGULAR
This XK120, which Midlands privateer rally driver, Lewis Johnson Tracey, owned for much of the 1950s, was a regular at events held in Britain and across the continent. It took part in the Isle of Wight’s first rally in 1951, later that same year tackling the Rally of Great Britain (and again in 1955), while also undertaking the International Soleil Cannes in 1952 and 1955, plus the MCC National Motor Rally in 1956. Also in 1951, Tracy and LOB 300 won both the acceleration and braking tests on the BARC Eastbourne Rally.
It was also used for circuit racing, being one of three XK120s entered by the Sunbac XK team in the very first Silverstone Six-Hour Relay Race held in 1952, finishing second out of 33 other teams. It was a successful hillclimber in Lew Tracey’s hands, too.
The Hagley and District Light Car Club organised a grass roots hill climb set within the verdant grounds of Chateau Impney – a 19th century house in Droitwich Spa, Worcestershire – in 1957. LOB 300 won its Over 2700cc Sports Car Class with Lew Tracey again behind the wheel, with a time of 29.21 seconds, around four and a half seconds slower than the overall winner – a single-seater Cooper with a time of 24.64 seconds, driven by David Good.
Fast-forward to today and this XK120 is one of several cars in a collection belonging to Chateau Impney owners, the Spollon family – and it’s still competing in historic motorsport events.
ROAD- AND RACE-READY
Chateau Impney Hill Climb’s event manager, Charlie Martin, is better placed than most to guide us around LOB 300 on a dreary and drizzly weekday morning in June. For one thing, he’s a seasoned hill climb competitor intimately familiar with the current course, which has been set at 1000 yards since the event’s revival in 2015 to meet Motor Sport Association rules – twice that of the original course in the 1950s and 1960s. And for another, he drove this XK120 in an entertaining Fordwater Trophy race during last year’s Goodwood Revival.
He says: ‘It’s great. It’s definitely one of the few cars at Goodwood that you could jump into in the
morning, drive there comfortably at 70mph on the motorway, and then come back again afterwards without having used much fuel or stressed the car too much.’
LOB 300 is one of the first steel-bodied XK120s built after the switch from aluminium for the first 240 cars in March 1950. It’s also one of the few roadsters built in right-hand drive; most were lefthookers bound for the US.
There are no bumpers or overriders at the front and the numberplate is a simple stick-on affair – all of which lend LOB 300 a fantastically sleek and aerodynamic look that really does accentuate the car’s flowing curves, finished in rather austere gunmetal grey paint. Well, we say ‘austere’, but it’s the colour of the very first production XK120 that was gifted to none other than the ‘King of Hollywood’ himself, Clark Gable – and you don’t get much more glamourous than that…
The bonnet has been modified with louvres while Lew Tracey retro-fitted wing ventilators in period to help disperse heat from braking. By far the most noticeable aspect of LOB 300’s appearance, however, is its lack of a windscreen.
Charlie says: ‘We put the aeroscreen on for the Goodwood Revival; the parts were with the car so we didn’t have to modify anything to fit them. We just popped it on with the mirror cowl and went racing. We’ve got the full windscreen safe in the workshop. It’s stayed like this because we all agree that it looks cool.’
‘The fantastically sleek look really does accentuate the car’s flowing curves’
SEVERE WEATHER WARNING
You use interior pull cords – not exterior door handles – to access LOB 300’s interior and the individual bucket seats do an admirable job of preventing the driver and their passenger from sliding around the cabin – there are no seats belts, of course. Seats and this car’s three-spoke steering wheel aside, the inside is like any other XK120.
It’s a similar story under the bonnet; LOB 300 is powered by a larger displacement 3.8-litre XK engine (first bored out for the XK150 3.8, so fitted after this car’s time with Lew Tracey) and fuelled by a pair of larger two-inch SU carbs. Other minor additions include an alloy coolant overflow reservoir and freer-breathing trumpets in place of air filters.
With Charlie in the driver’s seat, we’re treated to a preview of the Impney course and also reminded why it was that so many XK120s excelled in the world of motor sport. Acceleration is strong throughout the rev range and at no point does the engine sound strained. Quite the opposite, in fact; its snarl at high revs is especially pleasing.
In terms of outright pace, the missing windscreen – and the fact that it’s raining today – makes it difficult to get a sense of just how quickly LOB 300 is going. It’s undoubtedly fast, but the combination of the wind rushing across your face and even fine drizzle feeling like hail impacting on your skin makes it almost impossible to keep your eyes open much above 30mph. Of course, we’d both be wearing mandatory race helmets and overalls were this not a demonstration. As it is, hurtling along is a thrilling assault on the senses with not even an aeroscreen to shield the passenger.
Handling is impressive – at no point does LOB 300 pitch or wallow, even through the tight Corbett Chicane – but Charlie still has to use the large steering wheel to resist cornering forces, leaving the passenger to rely on a helpful grab handle mounted on the dashboard.
Being intimate with LOB 300, Charlie has no problems negotiating the non-synchromesh Moss gearbox, which has a reputation for being fussy when it comes to timing between changes. Likewise, disc brakes were still some way off at the time of the XK120s release, but LOB 300’s all-drum setup resists fade, despite being worked hard.
STILL GOT IT
Displaying refreshing honesty, Charlie makes no secret of the fact that LOB 300 would not be competitive were he to enter it into next month’s Hill Climb; the cut-off date for entrants is 1967 – the final year of the original annual Hill Climb – and so more modern classics would unsurprisingly have the edge over a Jaguar XK120, even within this particular example’s own class.
However, that’s not to detract from this car’s significance as a well-seasoned historic racer – or the fact that it’s still used for other high-profile classic events, such as the Goodwood Revival.
LOB 300 will be on display at the Chateau Impney Hill Climb – why not go and say ‘hello’?