FORM WINS OVER FUNCTION

It was love at first sight – I was hanging over the rail taking photos on the first floor of Melbourne’s Royal Exhibition Building at the 2015 MotorClassica and this striking Jaguar caught my eye

As a Best of Show judge I hadn’t had time until now to study the auction cars but for some reason the XK120 with hood erected jumped out at me.

I’ve always hankered over William Lyons stunning roadster – to me one of the best looking cars of the immediate post war era – an enduring form that even today is simple, striking and somewhat alluring. On top of that it was the fastest road car available at launch.

The car in question was part of the Theodore Bruce Auction – in period khaki with green top and leather it looked simply superb from above. Sympathetically restored for the period it not surprisingly was knocked down for a considerable sum during the auction.

I came