Duncan Hamilton is one of the most fascinating characters in the history of motorsport. An ex-Lysander pilot who turned to racing, Duncan Hamilton immediately proved he had a gift behind the wheel. At the time of Hamilton’s rise to fame in the motorsport world, another track star was emerging: the Jaguar XK 120. The XK 120 was the fastest car in the world at the time of its launch, something which clearly caught the attention of this car’s first owner, Mr. Philip Fotheringham-Parker, who purchased LXF 731 in late 1950. Fotheringham-Parker and Hamilton were great friends, and so after taking delivery of his stunning Jag, he put Hamilton behind the wheel to see how they would fair in both national and international races.
Hamilton and LXF 731 immediately proved to be a fantastic pairing, taking home third place during their first outing at the Daily Express Silverstone Trophy Meeting on May 5th 1951, with only Stirling Moss and Charles Dodson beating Hamilton to the chequered flag. After an unsuccessful outing at the Portuguese Grand Prix, Hamilton reiterated his racing prowess with two victories in this XK 120 at Boreham in the Williams Lyons Trophy race and the Unlimited Race on 11th August 1951. Thus began a highly fruitful relationship between Jaguar and Duncan Hamilton, with the racer going on to secure glory with Jaguar’s Works team at Le Mans in 1953 and at Rheims in 1956.
As for LXF 731, the stunning Jag would eventually find its way to Northern Ireland, where it was bought by one David Bazire. In 2011 this XK 120 was fully restored to its early race specification and has since been maintained to the highest level, regardless of cost. Having successfully recently competed in the Mille Miglia twice and at the Le Mans Legends Support Race, this big cat has proven it hasn’t lost any pace during its remarkable history. Now you could add this highly significant and successful 1950 Jaguar XK 120 to your collection, so be sure to keep an eye on Historics Auctioneers’ Mercedes-Benz World sale on November 26th.
