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15/02/2023 3:24 pm
1954 New York Auto Show
Frank Reed
Chesapeake, VA
Topic starter
15/02/2023 3:35 pm
Hi Frank,
I think that you answered your own question with the picture above. The Mercedes Benz 300SL came out in 1954 with that unique side vent which provided additional air to the engine compartment. Bertone was impressed and used it on the 1957 Jaguar XK150 Coupe.
Frank Reed and Karl Schnelle reacted
15/02/2023 3:56 pm
Should have been an Alfa or a Ferrari! Thank goodness, they went with the E-Type instead!
Topic starter
13/03/2023 3:49 pm
1978 Jaguar XJ Spyder Concept Pininfarina
By 1978, the then three-year-old XJ-S being subjected to persistent criticism, not being in the tradition of the Jaguar E-Type which was greatly missed. Legendary coachbuilder Pininfarina took note. It seems Jaguar reacted to the Italian design studio's intention of creating its own interpretation of an E-type successor by granting it one of the XJ-S development mules.
With underpinnings from the XJ-S in place, the formidable trio of Leonardo Fioravanti, Sergio Pininfarina and Renzo Carli of Pininfarina in Italy went about designing the bodywork. They reverted to the oval-shaped front air-intake of the E-type, and dropped the sober lines of the XJ-S in favour of the more bulbous curves of the original – including the swooping arcs which peaked above the wheels. The three also gave the car a large trunk to maximise grand touring potential, but this led to a side profile similar to the same generation Corvette. This may have been intentional as Jaguar wanted to break into the American market.
Underneath the bodywork resided the 5343cc V12 of the donated mule, which produced 284bhp and was mated to a five-speed gearbox. Despite sharing the same chassis, the Pininfarina XJ Spider was shorter, wider and rode lower than the XJ-S, giving it sportier intentions. As its new name suggested, it was given a convertible roof (beating Jaguar’s targa-roofed XJ-S by some 5 years), as well as some pop-up headlights and interesting instrumentation inside. The car debuted at the British Motor Show in 1978. It isa one-off despite being the basis for several prototypes developed by Jaguar over the next few years.
Matrix 1/43 Scale MX51001-052 - 1978 Jaguar XJ Spyder Concept Pininfarina Closed
Topic starter
23/03/2023 3:23 pm
1963 Jaguar D Type Michelotti Le Mans
This is a one-off design. This car began its life as the Jaguar Le Mans D-Type (chassis # XKD513) which ran for two consecutive years in Le Mans. After an accident in 1957 at Le Mans the D-Type was sent back to Jaguar at Brown’s Lane. In 1960, the remains of the car were sold to Giovanni Michelotti, who created this beautiful body on the original Jaguar chassis, which kept all its original size.
Despite the D-type looking a mess and missing its aluminium body, the chassis remained intact and Michelotti created a sleek, good-looking coupe which won a top award for design following its debut at the 1963 Geneva Salon. Painted in light blue, other than its familiar Dunlop wheels, it had no relation to the car it was based on, being more reminiscent of Michelotti’s previous work for Triumph.
The Jaguar Le Mans D-Type Michelotti appeared in 1963 at the Geneva Motor Show. Giovanni Michelotti personally used the car for some time before selling it.
Matrix 1/43 Scale MX41001-051 - Jaguar D Type Michelotti Le Mans - Met Blue
23/03/2023 4:37 pm
@david-green I did a write-up on this one a few years ago here. As I recall (didn't save my text, dang it) the Michelotti body was later transferred to another Jaguar chassis, and XKD513 was re-restored back to traditional D-Type configuration.
Topic starter
23/03/2023 5:27 pm
I remember reading about that restoration in one of my Jaguar magazines. It is too bad that we lost so much that was on the old website.
I would have liked to have seen your post.
Topic starter
29/03/2023 4:30 pm
Century Dragon 1/43 Alloy diecast car model Jaguar XK140.
I recently came across a significant number of Jaguars made by Century Dragon out of Hong Kong. These are diecast rather than resin, but Century Dragon calls the material used for the build, alloy. Detail is excellent and I have several on order. Here is my first example. I have about a dozen XK-140s at this point and this one compares with my collection favourably. However, note on this one that the photo etched trim on the trunk is lifting at the top needing a little repair.
Topic starter
31/03/2023 10:15 pm
Beautiful, Harv. I should receive the blue open version shortly.
Harv Goranson reacted
Topic starter
25/05/2023 11:06 am
1956 Jaguar XK140 Ghia Coup
Although it had one of the best sports-car chassis available, and unquestionably one of the best engines, the XK 140 was already looking somewhat dated by the time it arrived in 1954. The XK 140 had inherited its body essentially unchanged in overall appearance from that the preceding XK 120, which had been designed by Jaguar’s boss, Sir William Lyons, in 1948.
Jaguar was happy to sell the XK 140 in rolling-chassis form for bodying by independent coachbuilders, and a number of its more wealthy clients went down that route in order to avail themselves of the very latest in modern automotive styling.
Jaguar supplied 11 XK 140s in rolling-chassis form for bodying by independents, among the most celebrated being the four bodied by Carrozzeria Ghia of Turin, which had already completed three XK 120s, these being the famous “Supersonic” cars designed by Giovanni Savonuzzi. All four of Ghia’s XK 140s were closed coupés of broadly similar design.
These four XK 140 bodies were constructed entirely of aluminum, as was common practice with hand-built “one-offs.”
The first built was displayed at the Paris Salon in October 1956. Before that, in August 1956, the purchasers, Mr. and Mrs. Altweg had displayed the Ghia-bodied XK 140 at the concours d’elegance in Cannes.
Matrix 1/43 Scale Model Car M4100 011 - 1956 Jaguar XK140 Ghia Coupe
Karl Schnelle and Harv Goranson reacted
25/05/2023 11:12 am
Have it, like it. A very elegant mid-1950's design.
Karl Schnelle and David Green reacted
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