Right, been thinking about classic cars lately, specifically those old Jaguars. Always had a soft spot for the curves on the XK120. Just pure class.
Anyway, this brings me back to something I saw a while back. I was driving home, can’t remember exactly where from, maybe one of those smaller country roads I like to take sometimes. Came around a bend, and there was a bit of a scene. Flashing lights, couple of people standing around looking glum.
And there it was. A Jaguar XK120. Looked like a roadster, maybe British Racing Green, hard to tell with the mud. It wasn’t completely smashed up, looked like it had maybe slid off the tarmac into the soft verge or a shallow ditch. The front end was definitely looking sorry for itself though. One of the lovely flowing wings was crumpled up, headlight askew. Just looked… well, sad.
Seeing it Like That
It really got me, seeing such a beautiful machine damaged. It wasn’t just a car sitting there messed up; it felt different. These old timers, they’ve got character, you know? Like living history on wheels. Seeing one bent out of shape felt wrong.
Made me think about the risks, I guess. You pour all this love, time, and cash into keeping these things alive and on the road. Then bam, one wrong move, or maybe just bad luck, and it’s heartache.
It reminded me of something stupid I did years ago.
- Had this old Triumph Spitfire I was fixing up.
- Spent ages on the bodywork, getting it just right.
- Then, totally my fault, reversed it slowly into a low garden wall I just didn’t see.
- Didn’t do huge damage, just creased the rear valance and scratched that paint I’d worked so hard on.
Sounds minor, right? But man, it felt awful at the time. Like I’d personally let the car down. It’s that connection you build when you’re working on them, getting your hands dirty.
So yeah, seeing that XK120 kind of brought that feeling back. Just a reminder that things happen. Hope whoever owned it got it fixed up okay. They’re special cars, those XKs. Worth the effort, even with the risks.