Old Jaguars have been the objects of recreation, reimagining and updating long before the fashionable world of restomodding emerged. Jaguar C-, D- and E-types have been recreated and upgraded over the decades by companies like Eagle, Lynx, Proteus and others, while the shapely Mk 2 saloon has been reworked by Vicarage and Beacham.
The XK 120, on the other hand, has rarely been the target of a remake despite its obvious beauty and legendary role not only in the evolution of Jaguar but the wider car industry. One reason for that is its cockpit, which is more grotto than generously dimensioned well for human occupation. It’s why a Dutch engineering company once performed a wheelbase and track stretch on an XK 120.
Another way to enlarge the cabin is to completely rework the car, as high-end restorers Thornley Kelham is doing with its Jaguar XK European.
Besides restoring classics to major award winning standards, this Cotswold company has recently launched a highly modified Lancia Aurelia B20 GT called the Outlaw, a nine strong, £400,000 apiece limited edition run that takes 5,000 hours to build. Which gives you an idea of the extent of the work involved. Yet £400,000 will not be enough to buy you their XK, which starts at £550,000. That number will doubtless trigger a couple of thoughts: first, that’s a good five times what you’d pay for one of the best XK 120s out there. And second, you can buy some spectacular new cars for that money. But how often does cold, hard logic dominate the thought processes of car enthusiasts buying cars? Not so often. If you happen to be flush enough to consider buying cars costing six- and seven-figure sums, then this Jaguar might well appeal. Thornley Kelham thinks it can find 25 such enthusiasts.
Much of the XK’s remodeling has been carried out by ex-McLaren Cars designer, Paul Howse, who has aimed for a “more muscular, more assertive” look that he reckons might have emerged from a “Jaguar skunkworks” exercise. Major changes include a lowered roofline, more curvature for the XK 120’s originally rather flat flanks, wider wings for wider wheels and a subtle tidying of the basic shape. Achieving this has meant the creation of an entirely new aluminium shell for the chassis, this process enabling more room to be found within the cockpit, and the provision of a much better driving position too. The chassis itself is the original, but to longer XK 140 dimensions. The interior itself is new while clearly drawing on the look of the original car’s cabin, instruments and controls. Much closer to an original 120 is this new machine’s XK engine, reworked with a narrow-angle C-type cylinder head, an aluminium 3.8-litre block and a lightweight flywheel, its 340bhp driving a five-speed gearbox, a limited slip diff and a 1,150kg target weight. The suspension is extensively redesigned with double wishbones up front and a better-located live rear axle, all four wheels coilover suspended. Which has you wondering how much of dynamic character of the original remains.
Thornley Kelhamco-founder Simon Thornley explains that the idea was to, “Keep the wonder of the original, but with a modern driving experience.” So, something nostalgically beauteous, but usable. There’s no doubting the aesthetic sensitivity of this rebirthing, however, which has produced a car that’s likely to yield a civilised and entertaining old-school drive. Whether you think it’s worth over 5,000 hours and £550,000 is something only an individual can decide. But, it’s individual tastes that make the car business so fascinating.
Rusty rear sub-frames are indeed rare, cracking around the four diff top mounting bolts being the more common mode of failure. The outboard and inboard subframes are identical and, therefore, interchangeable. XJ6/12 saloons also share the same component and the only minor difference you may encounter is the position of the exhaust mounting brackets. Usually, the alternative captive nuts are present and will simply require thread cleaning.
While on the theme, Terry points out that the corrosion was caused by fumes rising from an unsealed concrete surface (presumably recently laid). This can be likened to parking the car over a mild acid bath, or, indeed, grass. This problem is easily avoided by simply painting the floor, or laying some form of impervious floor covering, such as vinyl. Also, in the unlikely event of an oil leak, mopping up operations are also simplified.
Old Jaguars have been the objects of recreation, reimagining and updating long before the fashionable world of restomodding emerged. Jaguar C-, D- and E-types have been recreated and upgraded over the decades by companies like Eagle, Lynx, Proteus and others, while the shapely Mk 2 saloon has been reworked by Vicarage and Beacham.
The XK 120, on the other hand, has rarely been the target of a remake despite its obvious beauty and legendary role not only in the evolution of Jaguar but the wider car industry. One reason for that is its cockpit, which is more grotto than generously dimensioned well for human occupation. It’s why a Dutch engineering company once performed a wheelbase and track stretch on an XK 120.
Another way to enlarge the cabin is to completely rework the car, as high-end restorers Thornley Kelham is doing with its Jaguar XK European.
Besides restoring classics to major award winning standards, this Cotswold company has recently launched a highly modified Lancia Aurelia B20 GT called the Outlaw, a nine strong, £400,000 apiece limited edition run that takes 5,000 hours to build. Which gives you an idea of the extent of the work involved. Yet £400,000 will not be enough to buy you their XK, which starts at £550,000. That number will doubtless trigger a couple of thoughts: first, that’s a good five times what you’d pay for one of the best XK 120s out there. And second, you can buy some spectacular new cars for that money. But how often does cold, hard logic dominate the thought processes of car enthusiasts buying cars? Not so often. If you happen to be flush enough to consider buying cars costing six- and seven-figure sums, then this Jaguar might well appeal. Thornley Kelham thinks it can find 25 such enthusiasts.
Much of the XK’s remodeling has been carried out by ex-McLaren Cars designer, Paul Howse, who has aimed for a “more muscular, more assertive” look that he reckons might have emerged from a “Jaguar skunkworks” exercise. Major changes include a lowered roofline, more curvature for the XK 120’s originally rather flat flanks, wider wings for wider wheels and a subtle tidying of the basic shape. Achieving this has meant the creation of an entirely new aluminium shell for the chassis, this process enabling more room to be found within the cockpit, and the provision of a much better driving position too. The chassis itself is the original, but to longer XK 140 dimensions. The interior itself is new while clearly drawing on the look of the original car’s cabin, instruments and controls. Much closer to an original 120 is this new machine’s XK engine, reworked with a narrow-angle C-type cylinder head, an aluminium 3.8-litre block and a lightweight flywheel, its 340bhp driving a five-speed gearbox, a limited slip diff and a 1,150kg target weight. The suspension is extensively redesigned with double wishbones up front and a better-located live rear axle, all four wheels coilover suspended. Which has you wondering how much of dynamic character of the original remains.
Thornley Kelhamco-founder Simon Thornley explains that the idea was to, “Keep the wonder of the original, but with a modern driving experience.” So, something nostalgically beauteous, but usable. There’s no doubting the aesthetic sensitivity of this rebirthing, however, which has produced a car that’s likely to yield a civilised and entertaining old-school drive. Whether you think it’s worth over 5,000 hours and £550,000 is something only an individual can decide. But, it’s individual tastes that make the car business so fascinating.
Rusty rear sub-frames are indeed rare, cracking around the four diff top mounting bolts being the more common mode of failure. The outboard and inboard subframes are identical and, therefore, interchangeable. XJ6/12 saloons also share the same component and the only minor difference you may encounter is the position of the exhaust mounting brackets. Usually, the alternative captive nuts are present and will simply require thread cleaning.
While on the theme, Terry points out that the corrosion was caused by fumes rising from an unsealed concrete surface (presumably recently laid). This can be likened to parking the car over a mild acid bath, or, indeed, grass. This problem is easily avoided by simply painting the floor, or laying some form of impervious floor covering, such as vinyl. Also, in the unlikely event of an oil leak, mopping up operations are also simplified.