Everybody has heard of ‘NUB 120’. It’s the car credited as the most successful competition Jaguar XK120 of all time, driven by privateer Ian Appleyard to a string of rally wins from 1950 through to the end of its career in 1953. It was a real success story, and one that boosted Jaguar’s competition credentials impressively at the time, proving the capability of the XK120 to the world.
Appleyard’s victories were an inspiration to many, including the first owner of this wonderfully original XK120, ‘PPE 101’. The connection to NUB 120 is more than just a philosophical one, too. This steel-bodied car was actually entered in the same class in the 1951, 1952 and 1953 Alpine Rallies, and in ’53 also formed part of the trio of XK120s – including NUB 120 – that took the team prize for Jaguar in the RAC Rally. Unlike Appleyard’s car, however, PPE continued rallying and racing for many years – decades, even – after this momentous occasion. With over 40,000 miles of mostly competition use, PPE has lived an extraordinary life.
We’re currently pottering through the narrow Hampshire lanes close to PPE’s current home, dodging the inevitable
