Vehicle Description
Brothers George and Sam Barris were car nuts from their earliest
days. As a young boy living in California, the younger George would
build balsa wood model cars and carefully customize them, paying
close attention to detail and form, winning multiple contests with
his work. The first real car he and his brother restored was a 1925
Buick they received as payment for their labor in a family
restaurant. They immediately began changing its appearance, making
subtle improvements and experimentations... and with that, Barris
Custom was born. The brothers opened the Barris Custom Shop when
George was just 18, and began doing bodywork and mild customizing
for their friends and school mates. Their first major breakthrough
came in 1951 when a customer named Bob Hirohata ordered a custom
Mercury from Barris Customs after seeing one Sam had built for
himself. The resulting car, which became known simply as "The
Hirohata Merc" is widely regarded today as one of the most
important custom cars in history. When new, it was shown at the
Detroit Motorama where the exquisite style and craftsmanship
overshadowed much of the work by Detroit's top designers. The
success of the Hirohata Merc drew newfound attention to their shop
and orders from California's elite began pouring in. While George
would eventually become known for his wild, over-the-top "Kustoms"
and kitschy movie cars, his early work was substantially more
subdued and finely considered. One early customer of note was the
famed Hollywood superstar Clark Gable. Beyond his on-and-off screen
exploits, Gable was extremely well known as a collector of the
finest automobiles. Throughout the course of his illustrious
career, Gable owned several Duesenbergs (including a Model JN and
an SSJ), a Packard Eight Convertible Victoria, and both a Mercedes
Benz 300Sc and 300SL Gullwing, among many others. When Jaguar
unveiled their sensational new XK120 in 1948, Gable was smitten by
the stunning new machine from Coventry, England, and he soon
appeared in person at International Motors on Wilshire Boulevard in
Hollywood to insist that HE would be the recipient of the very
first XK120 delivered on the West Coast. Gable would go on to own
two other XK120s, one of which was a gift by Tony Hulman of
Indianapolis Motor Speedway fame, and would remain in Indy for its
whole life. While his last XK120 was a 1952 model which he promptly
handed over to George and Sam for the Barris Customs touch, and is
the subject we proudly feature here. Clark Gable was certainly no
wallflower, but as evident from his other famous cars, he had
restrained and sophisticated tastes when it came to motoring.
Because of this, he didn't go crazy with the XK120, instead relying
on George Barris to subtly refine the shape of the already gorgeous
standard XK120. Starting with a stock 1952 Open Two Seat model on
steel wheels with rear wheel spats, Barris began at the front end
by shaving the trim from the headlights, as well as smoothing the
front fenders by shaving off the turn signal plinths. The wing
mirrors were removed and holes filled, while the body sides are
essentially left alone to highlight the beautiful original shape.
Around the back, the boot lid is shaved, save for the handle, and
the license plate relocated down low. A removable hard top was
built to appear like a Carson Top, which features a full headlining
and a leather trimmed parcel shelf that complements the red
upholstery. To finish it off, a pair of subtle Barris Custom Cars
badges were affixed to the cowl below the windscreen posts. The
overall effect is quite understated, highlighting the beauty of the
basic XK120 form quite brilliantly. Upon its discovery in 2010,
this very important Jaguar XK120 was sent to marque expert Jim
Kakuska of JK Restorations in Oswego, Illinois where it received a
stunning restoration to concours standards. It presents today in
beautiful condition, with the lovely paint color reminiscent of
Jaguar's own Opalescent Sand. The body and paint are finished to
concours-quality levels, the panel fit is outstanding and the long,
sweeping body sides are exceptionally straight. The car retains the
original steel wheels and wheel spats which, combined with the
subtle Barris touches just make this XK120 look impossibly sleek
and beautiful. Chrome plating on the delicate bumpers, windscreen
frame, wheels and minor fittings is all of show-quality. This car
is a numbers-matching example with a Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust
Certificate as well as a certificate of authenticity from Barris
Kustoms to confirm its incredible pedigree. As with the body, the
interior was restored to a very high level in correct red leather
trim on the seats and door cards, along with proper red cockpit
rails, dash and wool carpeting. The quality, fit and finish are
outstanding. The Barris-designed, Carson-style hard top was
restored to original spec, trimmed in tan canvas to give the
appearance of a soft top (there is no folding soft-top fitted). The
inside of the top is lined in red, with the distinct parcel shelf
area covered in leather to match the seats. Otherwise, the interior
is standard fare XK120 OTS, just restored to concours quality. The
outstanding quality continues when lifting the bonnet to reveal the
original 3.4 liter XK six-cylinder engine. Topped with signature
polished alloy cam covers, it breathes through correct S.U.
Carburetors and proper porcelain exhaust manifolds. As one would
expect from a specialist restoration, the detailing is to a very
high standard and the engine bay is simply gorgeous to look at. It
is a very strong running car as well, having been well-sorted since
the restoration and is highly enjoyable to drive. The car comes to
us fresh from the lawn at the 2017 Pebble Beach Concours
d'Elegance, and the sale will include the aforementioned Heritage
Certificate and Barris Documentation, as well as copies of period
photographs of Mr. Gable with this XK120. This very special and
truly unique Jaguar XK120 benefits not only from a fascinating
history, but also from a truly world-class restoration by respected
marque experts, and is certain to qualify for virtually prestigious
concours or road event worldwide.