
If you have been a fan of all things racing then you might remember a little race in 1952 that pit six of the world's best drivers at the time against one another all driving the same car, a Jaguar XK120. The race was held at Silverstone on the 10th of May between Johnny Claes, Prince Bira of Siam, Toulo de Graffenried, Paul Pietsch, Tony Gaze and Sir Stirling Moss.
The drivers had drawn a lottery on the cars they were to pilot then took off on their first couple of practice laps before the short five lap race was underway. Paul Pietsch took the early lead which was quickly taken away by Graffenried where he then battled with Sir Stirling Moss. Moss, being the youngest of all the drivers, rapidly overtook the older German driver to receive the checkered flag.
Fast forward to 2023 and quite possibly one of the best true barn find stories is the complete and extensive restoration project taken on by Bill Wallace and his team at Impact Collision Shop in beautiful Fountain Hills, Arizona. Our information is that this is in fact one of the six Jaguar XK120's that raced in the Race of Champions on May 10th, 1952. Every single nut and bolt had undergone a complete, frame off, restoration. This not only brought it back into working order, but better than factory spec.


The first thing I noticed when entering Bill's shop was the cleanliness of everything because we know it's not easy keeping a repair/restore shop looking nice. Also, the friendliness of the employees that I met. Everyone was ready to help get the car shot and looking good for the photos which is a huge help so we can focus on what we do best. The second thing was the fact the XK120 fired up immediately without hesitation or any other "old car noises." This thing is remarkably solid, but also looks impeccably delicate & antique.
Regardless of how you may feel about Jaguar as a brand we think this car has a special place in the automotive history books. We appreciate Highline Autos for giving us the opportunity to capture this vehicle and all they do for the Phoenix/Scottsdale communities. Without further conversation here are some of the images from the morning, enjoy!
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