He may not have given a damn about Scarlet O’Hara at the end of “Gone with the Wind,” but movie star Clark Gable sure loved cars, including his 1952 Jaguar XK120 roadster.
The car once owned by Gable – who played the dubious Rhett Butler in the 1939 film – will be shown this weekend as part of a special showcase at the Carlisle Import and Performance Nationals in Carlisle, Pennsylvania.
The history of Gable’s ownership of the car is unclear, as he owned at least four Jaguars. However, according to a news release from Carlisle Events, it is known that he turned to the late great California customizer George Barris to make some tweaks to the vehicle.
It was one of the first cars Barris customized during his long career, which included the Batmobile, “The Beverly Hillbillies” 1921 Oldsmobile touring-car-turned-truck and a host of other movie and TV novelties.
The automotive world eventually lost track of the Jaguar and it was later found in Dallas, Texas.
Parts and pieces of the car were stored in multiple boxes. The then-owner restored the car as it looked when Gable owned it.
The Jaguar was recently purchased by Velocity TV host Joseph Limongelli, who also will display a 1966 Jaguar E-Type, a 1952 Aston Martin DB 2 and a 2004 Aston Martin Vanquish.
For more information, check out the show’s website.
I doubt this very much. I owned the car that Jaguar "gave" Gable for one year. It is still in California… a 1954 roadster, white. Gable said it was "the first Jaguar he ever had."
The profile of a 120 is staggering. Only when you drive one, will you know what it’s like to drive; a high performance Buda 2 ton truck.
All this time I thought I had it,,oops. mine is a 140…