This load on a knocked-down carrier is intriguing. It’s a pair of cars from the early ’50s, and unidentified. They look very much like custom one-offs, which was a big thing at the time. Or so I assume. There’s a lot of European influence, obviously. Or are they actual European coach-built cars? They seem too big for that. Inquiring minds want to know.
Update: despite certain similarities to the Jaguar XK 120/140/150 coupes, there a number of very clear differences. It’s possibly that it is a heavily customized Jag, but my guess is that it’s a custom with certain Jag influences. The Jag was a very influential car in the early ’50s; in fact, by far the most influential on the sports car/custom world. It also looks bigger than a Jag; quite likely it sits on an American car chassis, fully rebodied.
The rear one looks like it might be based around a Jaguar XK120/140.
If so, only loosely. Lots of key differences too. The whole fender line coming down through the cowl and door are different.
Yes, I agree there, it would require a complete reskin of the door and new fenders, but the former would probably be needed as the rear is significantly reworked anyway. I think the similar fender line to the XK150 is just a co-incidence; after all by the early 1950s belt lines were generally rising and it would help to visually balance that extended rear. The actual door window, quaterlight and frame look almost identical though. As a rough comparison (the vertical angle isn’t quite a perfect match) I’ve outlined some of the similarities in green (arrow to rear edge of bonnet/hood opening, shape of window, leading edge of door) and superimposed the required reshaped parts on a normal XK120. I think it would be feasible. Having read the Pataray back story could it be that both cars have been rebodied at the same factory or simply being taken to the same show?
I agree it may well be a heavily customized XK-120. The basic proportions are right, as well as the shape of the main side window and some other details. And the wheels are certainly right.
Rear car looks like a modified Jaguar XK120 with the continental kit. front car has a fin and push bars with low or no windscreen which leads me to believe it’s set up for a land speed pursuit. I tried to enlarge and enhance the script on the fin.
Sanbray????
There are similarities but also major differences. The Jag’s fenderline is much lower and drops down well into the door. This one doesn’t. Also, the XK-120’s roof is significantly shorter. Take a close look below:
Yeah, back one looks like a Jaguar FHC with some extra trunk grafted on, and the front one looks like a stretched 1952 Ford.
That’s a lot of work, and pretty weird result.
I’s not a 150 FHC. Among other things, the Jag’s windshield is curved, and its side window are more rectangular. A number of key differences.
Tried to enlarge and enhance fin on the front car. SanBray???
Jaguar almost looks like it has fenders from a Packard
The front one’s the Pataray. https://www.hemmings.com/stories/2019/05/31/split-apart-stolen-and-misidentified-fageols-supersonic-pataray-led-a-tortured-existence
Great sleuthing and a great story per the link. Would love to know how Paul’s photo figures into the story.
Terrific! And what a back story to it. Thanks,
Interesting Fageol connection with the Pataray. We just need a Fageol car carrier to close the loop.
Great piece on Hemmings, and there in the comments section – Lou Fageol owned a customised XK120 Coupe.
I also found a photo of a Ghia Supersonic that Lou Fageol had modified with Imperial fins on an extended tail with a continental kit similar to the one on the car above.
Rear car must be a Jaguar XK150 FHC (based on the door waistline), with a rear end mod, for some reason. That is very long.
I thought the earlier XK120/140 version because of the roofline. That on the XK150 was longer. I agree the sides of the door do look more like the XK150, but given the tail end is clearly reworked that may be true of the doors too; they look too short for the later car.
It’s not a 150. This car predates that; it’s from the ear;y ’50s. The XK 150’s windshield and windows are significantly different, as well as other elements.
The one on the back looks like a Muntz
Looks like it might be a Muntz to me as well.
Make that three
Muntz was my first thought too. Thought I was crazy.
The rear car also looks like a heavily customized XK FHC of some kind to me. It looks like it’s had the doors entirely re-skinned when the rear fenders were done, and it covers up the lower curved part of the window frame.
Fageol was quite a character ! Apart from the “Supersonic” and the custom XK120, he owned at various times a Fiat 8V Ghia Supersonic (customised of course) and a twin engined customised Porsche 356, and a race car with twin 356 motors, which had superchargers driven by chainsaw motors !