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- 425,000 overpriced
- Hammond, IL
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- classiccars.com
Brothers george and sam barris were car nuts from their earliest days. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. Gable with this xk120.
425,000 Hammond, ILHammond, IL at classiccars.com