Topic: Solved - MJW #273 - Jaguar XK120C "Brontosaurus" 1953

[woodinsight]

Which car is this and what was it's nickname?

[woodinsight]

I wonder if the experts know?

[D-type]

Jaguar XK 120 based prototype nicknamed "The Brontosaurus"

[woodinsight]

That's correct but it's missing one small detail -
Jaguar XK120_ prototype nicknamed the "Brontosaurus"
Locked for you until your next reply.

[D-type]

Are you looking for "Jaguar XK120C based prototype nicknamed the Brontosaurus".

I'm not sure whether it had an XK120 chassis or a C-Type chassis, I've seen both suggested.  One fairly authoritive website lists it as XKC301 suggesting a C-type (or possibly early D-Type) chassis.

It's difficult to say what this was a prototype for.  It comes between XKC201 and XKC 401 in the chassis numbering sequence.  XKC201 was the "C-Type Mk 22 or "C/D-Type prototype" produced in early 1953 by the Competitions Department and XKC401 was the first D-Type produced in 1954 so it wasn't for that.  It came later than the unsuccessful 1952 Le Mans cars and has a very different body from them.  The "Brontosaurus" was apparently produced in late 1953 directly for [Sir] William Lyons and not by the Competitions Dept.  It had spats on the front wheels as well as the rear ones so its turning circle was too large for track use.  When asked by Norman Dewis, apparently Lyons suggested that it could be used for record breaking.  But it never was.

[woodinsight]

Thanks for that interesting reply D-Type. I really didn't know the story behind this car.
I had it as a C-Type chassis, then I thought it must be an XK120C prototype.
I couldn't find any mention of it in my Andrew Whyte books on Jaguar.
Anyway another point for you.

[Allemano]

In the book "JAGUAR" by Heiner Stertkamp there's a little story about this car. The car was constructed and designed in 1953 by William  Lyons on the base of a XK 120 C. Appearantly it was only used for short private rides at the plant grounds of Jaguar by the director general himselves..
Extensively tested by Norman Davis Dewis it was originally built for record breaking.
As it never was used for that purpose it finally went for scrap.

[woodinsight]

Very interesting - thanks Allemano.
I'd never seen a side profile of the car before.
I'll alter the title of the puzzle to Jaguar XK120C "Brontosaurus" 1953 to keep the record straight.
By the way, Norman Dewis was the Jaguar test driver not Davis.

[Allemano]

There's much more about this car in the book. Will sort it later..

[Allan L]

Paul Skilleter (Jaguar Sports Cars, G.T. Foulis 1975) has the same photo that Allemano posted and its caption is:
Top right Definitely a Lyons Special - the 'Brontosaurus' resulted from a collaboration between Fred Gardner and Lyons around 1952; body was aluminium on a wooden frame and originally was purely a design exercise, until 'the boss' wanted to see it running. The experimental shop then took over from Lyons' personal little workshop and strengthened the shell to accept C-type suspension and engine. It never ran outside the factory and died within a few months.
Oh and Norman Dewis is still around.  http://www.normandewis.com/ He was at Lea-Francis before Jaguar, and was going to come to our (Lea-Francis O.C.) annual gathering last year, but was double booked so could not, so maybe another year . . .

[woodinsight]

Thanks for that Allan.
I didn't realise that Norman Dewis was at Lea-Francis before Jaguar.
He's a popular man these days!
Let's hope that he will attend your annual gathering next year.