Description
This car is Lot 109 to be auctioned by Bonhams|Cars at The Goodwood Auction on Saturday September 13th, please see the Bonhams website for full details.
Public Viewing:
Available Friday September 12 from 09:00 until 17:00, Saturday September 13 from 09:00 at The Goodwood Revival.
Lot 109
1956 Jaguar Mark VII 3. 8-Litre Competition Saloon
Registration no. TRU 671
Chassis no. DN 728575
Well-prepared and upgraded
Raced in the inaugural St Mary's Trophy at Goodwood Revival by Le Mans legend Mike Salmon
Repeat entrant at Goodwood Revival raced by notable drivers
Carefully maintained and developed over the years
Eligible for Goodwood Revival, Members' Meeting, HRDC and HSCC events
"Yet the Mk VII was a car of towering abilities, at least as good in its own class as the XK 120 was in its own. The.... wishbone front suspension, and the long, low-stressed rear leaf springs, plus good weight distribution, produced handling qualities that were among the best in he world and quite astonishing for a car whose weight approached 4, 000 lbs. Augmenting this was the power and torque of the 3. 4-litre XK engine which was designed for it, and which could push the large saloon to over 100 mph. This combination of qualities made for an unexpectedly competitive circuit racer and a front runner in international rallying." - Paul Skilleter, Jaguar - The Sporting Heritage.
This Jaguar Mark VII saloon is of the exact type that dominated the first years of British Touring Car Racing, notably in the hands of Stirling Moss. Having had only one previous owner, this particular Mark VII, 'TRU 671', was acquired by the current owner in 2000 as a road car, and prepared by Racing Green to appear in the first ever 1950s touring car race at the Goodwood Revival Meeting. The St Mary's Trophy, first run in 2000, is a two part Pro-Am race, and for the inaugural event the owner shared the car with Le Mans legend Mike Salmon. Throughout the early 2000s, the Mark VII would return repeatedly to Goodwood, and even to the iconic and beautiful Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps with Mike Salmon at the helm.
Mike Salmon would regrettably lay down his racing gloves in 2010 due to a long-term illness, which preventing him from continuing to race the Mark VII. Mike's motto, 'Flat as a Kipper!' was installed as a plaque on the dashboard, thus preserving his legendary memory to this day. The Mark VII would continue to race every season up until 2024, most notably driven by the late Tony Dron at the Goodwood Revival in 2010; Ollie Bryant at the Goodwood Members' Meeting in 2015; and regularly in the Jaguar race at the Castle Combe Autumn Classic meeting. The Jaguar has also been campaigned in many touring car series including the HSCC, HRDC and Mike Hawthorne Challenge.
'TRU 671' has been carefully maintained and developed over the years and benefits from numerous upgrades, including a 3. 8-litre triple-Weber engine and disc brakes. Offered with a V5C Registration Certificate.
All lots are sold 'as is/ where is' and Bidders must satisfy themselves as to the provenance, condition, age, completeness and originality prior to bidding. Visit the Bonhams|Cars website for all pertinent auction information.
