1959 Jaguar Mk1 3.8 Saloon - fast road/rally

The car presented here is a very special 1959 Jaguar Mk1 distributed new by Frank Leurs & Co. to R. P. Powell (Motors) Ltd. in Forest Gate - very well-known for race preparation and racing Mk1 Saloons - and originally painted Cornish Grey, the car was purchased by Lady Cheetham’s brother Humphrey, who promptly had it painted British Racing Green, his preferred colour. He only used the car sparingly when on home-leave from army duties. Upon leaving the army and returning home, Humphrey only used the car for a short period of time before, sadly, falling ill and dying. Lady Cheetham retained the car for its sentimental attachment. Fortunately, she was the neighbour of Duncan Hamilton, the racing driver, who used to look after the car on her behalf, giving it the occasional spirited drive-out, reputedly even doing a hill-climb event in it. This fascinating story was passed on from Mr Shaun Baker, who worked on a casual basis for Hamilton. Following Lady Cheetham’s ownership, the car was purchased by Baker and later subsequently bought by Mike Wilkinson of renowned M&C Wilkinson Ltd., who have over 40 years’ experience of Jaguar restorations, servicing, parts supply, and historic race preparation. Mike owned the car for several years before selling it, in 2018, to a Jaguar-enthusiast customer. With the intention of doing HERO-type classic rally events, the car was then meticulously prepared by the M&C Wilkinson workshops.

The car was stripped back to its bare metal and repainted (obviously now completely free of any rust), whilst the interior was refitted to the factory-specified colour of Suede Green, fitted out with a genuine 1950s map-light and a Mk2 dashboard shelf. The engine has been replaced with a fully Wilkinson-rebuilt 3.8-litre unit, similarly, the gearbox has been uprated to an all-synchromesh manual overdrive Mk2 type, whilst the prop-shaft has been replaced, the rear axle rebuilt (using a gripper power lock differential), and an all-new braking system with an upgraded master cylinder and servo installed. The suspension has been completely overhauled (now with KONI adjustable shock absorbers and uprated Coombs front springs), new wire wheels fitted (with appropriate Pirelli tyres) whilst all the ancillary items under the bonnet have been renewed. There is a new stainless-steel exhaust and fuel tank, an all-new fuel system and pipework, a new wiring harness, battery, and alternator. The steering has been upgraded to a power rack with a pressure-sensitive electronic pump, thus hopefully making the car hugely capable for many years to come. The current owner has installed a Brantz International 2 Pro (BR6) Rallymeter, along with Schroth Racing Profi 3x2 harnesses to comply as a rally entrant, plus new period-style bucket seats.

A change in personal circumstances meant the current owner (our vendor) only managed a single rally outing in the car, where it performed faultlessly. This great car provides a special opportunity to own and use a fully restored ‘fast road’ Jaguar Mk1, with many costly upgrades – all done by one of the best Jaguar specialists in the UK - get your HERO rally entry booked!