Jaguar XK120 for David Gandy
Do you know David Gandy? If so, you probably have a penchant for fashion. If not, you’ll get to know more about the British guy at least a little. Gandy was born in Billericay/Essex in February 1980 and works as a male model. In the past he walked on the catwalk for Dolce & Gabbana, Zara, Hugo Boss or H&M among others. In addition to his job he writes columns for the British Vogue and the British GQ, where he writes not only about fashion, but also about careers, antiques, life in London and cars. He has a special sweet spot for the classic cars from Jaguar. After he made his racing license in 2013, he has been invited several times as a driver for the classic Mille Miglia in Italy by the British brand.
He finally fell in love with the first production sports car of Jaguar, which debuted in 1948. Of course, we are talking about the XK120. So, David Gandy commissioned a special restoration at Jaguar Classic in Warwickshire about a year ago, for which the team of experts found a suitable base vehicle from 1954 in California. Gandy didn’t just want a restoration back to delivery condition, but had a few special requests. He wants to use this classic car at rallies and asked for appropriate modifications. In total, about 2,700 working hours were spent on this car over the past eleven months.
The original 3.4-liter inline six-cylinder engine received all of the popular tuning features of the 1950s, providing around 45 additional horsepower, increasing the original output from 180 to 225 hp. The spark plugs received steel brackets so they won’t come loose while driving. In addition, there is a high quality exhaust system with two tubes instead of only one. A good shiftable four-speed racing transmission transmits the power to the rear wheels. The brakes were also revised with disc brakes including four-piston calipers on the front axle and reconditioned drums on the rear axle. Fully adjustable dampers help to fine-tune the car for all events.
Jaguar Classic worked closely with David Gandy on all decisions for the paintwork and the interior design. For the body he chose classic black, which was applied in four layers. Altogether approximately 13 liters of paint were used. At the rear, there is a classic racing fuel filler with quick release. Instead of the original split-screen windshield there are two small aero screens as they were used on the XK120 Lightweight in period. Seats, dashboard and door cards are covered in aged saddle tan leather, which is woven lattice-like on the seats. The seat backs are in aluminium. Since David Gandy is relatively tall, Jaguar Classic moved the battery from its original place behind the driver’s seat to the passenger side to create more room for the seat rails. For the same reason, the British model chose a classic-style steering wheel, but with a smaller diameter than the original, giving him more leg room. The handover of the completed XK120 took place ahead of the Formula E race in Monaco last weekend.
Images: Jaguar
