Description
1949 - Jaguar XK 120 Barou Berlinette One-Off Chassis no. 670028 French registration Vehicle sold without technical inspection An authentic, unique, high-performance and elegant Jaguar racing berlinetta, with a track record not seen for nearly 40 years, and eligible for the biggest events! 29 August 1951, Nice. The Promenade des Anglais was transformed into a closed park for the first post-war edition of the legendary Tour de France Automobile. On the programme for this incredible event, supported - like the cycling version - by the unmissable L'Equipe newspaper, were no less than 5, 239 km divided into 6 stages, with a total of 7 classification events (special stages and circuits). Nearly 100 competitors lined up at the start that day in an inventory of cars worthy of Prévert, ranging from pre-war Hotchkiss to the latest Ferrari 212 Export, as well as 2CVs, Jaguar XK120s, Peugeot 203s and Aston Martin DB2s. It has to be said that the rules of this first Tour Auto opened the door to all and "without any restrictions", since they were reserved for "production passenger cars" which, thanks to the long list of authorised transformations, became "specially adapted production cars". In order to aim for overall victory, a coefficient system was introduced, which was supposed to even out the differences between the cars, particularly in terms of engine capacity. In the end, however, it was the 'big guns' that came out on top, including the Ferraris and Jaguar XK 120s, and it was at the wheel of one of the very first Open Two Seater roadsters (with an aluminium body), purchased from French left-hand drive importer Charles Delecroix, that Henri Peignaux, an accomplished gentleman driver and Jaguar dealer for the Lyon region, took to the track, co-driven by Roger Montabert. The car, coloured Battleship Grey, proved to be a top performer from the outset, driven by Peignaux in masterly fashion. On the second stage, the team set the fastest time in the Col de Peyresourde hill-climb in the Pyrenees, averaging over 75 km/ h, leaving the event's eventual winner, "Pagnibon", at the wheel of his Ferrari 212, behind. Unfortunately, in the third race, Montabert went off the road, Peignaux was seriously injured and the car was badly damaged. During his convalescence, Peignaux entrusted the wrecked Jaguar (it seems that a new, unstamped replacement chassis had been ordered from the factory) to a friend from the Ardèche, Jean Barou, a coachbuilder specialising in advertising vehicles and sports cars. A few months later, the Jaguar returned to Lyon rigged as a superb saloon car with an Italian-inspired design. Peignaux sold it in this configuration to one of his customers, also keen to try his hand at competition, a man from Dijon by the name of Jean Laroche who, co-driven by Jean Radix, was to take part in the legendary and very difficult Liège-Rome-Liège 1952. Given the weather conditions and the toughness of the event, also known as the Marathon de la Route, which was run over open roads in a single stage of more than 3, 500 km, the competitors liked to enter closed cars, such as the Barou berlinette, which also had a helmet restraint for the co-driver, whose role was already essential. The Dijon team, number 82, put in an excellent performance and finished second in the event, behind the winning Porsche 356. That year, only 24 of the 125 starting crews finished the race... Barou also produced a berlinette, seen at the 1954 Lyon-Charbonnières, which differed from the first in terms of its radiator grille and a few other details. He also made a barquette, which was also entered in the Lyon-Charbonnières, but was no more successful. While the second berlinette has disappeared, the barquette has survived, restored in the 1980s by Roland Urban, a specialist in special Jaguars, and entered several times in the historic Mille Miglia by one of its subsequent owners. Our sublime, high-performance Jaguar saloon #670028 was sold in 1952 and again in 1954, before fading into oblivion. It was through a classified ad that the current owner, an enlightened enthusiast, purchased the car. He had the car - which was white at the time - repainted in its current red hue, and used it on a number of rallies, where he met Roland Urban in particular, who noted the car's great authenticity, its low level of wear and tear, and its high performance. These characteristics were also confirmed by Bernard Viart, the pope of XKs (whom we thank for the many details he provided). Among its special features are the elements specific to early XKs, a very well-balanced matching engine, bespoke Borrani wheels and two coils with a Souriau competition contactor... Not seen for almost 40 years, this unique Jaguar ticks all the boxes on today's market: a high-performance car from a noble marque, one-off bodywork, a track record in competition, a clear and documented history, incredible original condition, and great eligibility. What other XK 120 on the market allows you to enter the greatest elegance competitions (Pebble Beach or Villa d'Este in particular) as well as the most prestigious races (Tour Auto and Goodwood among others...). A unique opportunity not to be missed. Est. 350 000 - 450 000 € This vehicle will be sold at auction during the sale of classic cars organised by the AGUTTES firm on Monday 7 April 2025 in Paris at the start of the Tour Auto. The digital catalogue is available on our website. Please do not hesitate to contact us for any further information.
