The Del Monte Trophy Race Group REGISTER records eligible cars … front-engined, drum-brake Sports Cars which would have raced at Pebble Beach 1950-1956. Read the details at https://dmtrg.com/the-definition/.
Jim Alder is one of the most original and characterful drivers in the Del Monte Trophy Race Group, not only because he drives the Jaguar on the roads from Reno NV to Laguna Seca or Sonoma and back and is the sole mechanic. His own account is a pleasing tribute to car and driver…
“My understanding is that prior owner, Mr. Ken Haller of Reno had driven the car to Reno from New York in the 1950’s. He was active in the Reno SCCA as a participant in rally’s and gymkhana’s. According to Reno British Car (and Merle Brennan’s) mechanic, Ray Craft, Ken Haller had an incident driving home from a party at British Motors on S. Virginia St. in which the 120 was gently turned over in a ditch….not even breaking the windshield!!
“My part starts in 1975 when I saw the 120 at Craft Foreign Motors shop where I was having some service done to my TR3. I was infatuated with the car, though thinking it was a Bentley or Rolls Royce sportscar. Ray Craft told me about Jaguar XK120 history in general. A few month’s later there was ad in local paper for an XK120 for sale. Indeed, it was the same car I saw at Ray’s shop. I convinced my boss Bob, (I was salesman at local Honda Motorbike dealership) to come up with half the money….which was good, but I still needed my half……which I borrowed from Christi (Bob’s daughter). The plan was to re-sell in Harrah’s Swap Meet for a nice profit. Car did not sell…Then everything changed when I was a spectator at the Monterey Historic Automobile Races in August 1977. This shot to the surface my simmering romantic idea of somehow being a “gentleman race driver”….like in the decades prior to, and just after, WWII. It became my mission to race the car. After paying off my boss and his daughter, I started the preparation work in order to make the Jaguar race worthy. Initially it never occurred to me to trailer the car to race events….lack of resources was one reason, but also it seemed that driving the car as transport to and from the race events was just the “proper way to do it”. After all, isn’t that how it was done…….back in the day?
“The 120 has raced at Riverside, Westwood BC, Palm Springs, Portland, Seattle, and many events at Laguna Seca and Sonoma. This 120 Jaguar has approximately 130 race events in the logbooks…. although, not without some drama over the years. I have almost always been able to drive the car home to Reno. At this point, my intention is to carry on.”
Engine – stock 6 cylinder (straight-6) twin overhead camshaft 3442cc
Power – 160 bhp @ 5100 rpm
Torque – 195lb ft @ 2500 rpm
Gearbox – 4 speed, synchro on 2nd, 3rd and top
Wheelbase 102 in (2,591 mm)
Length 173 in (4,394 mm)
Width 61.5 in (1,562 mm)
Height 52.5 in (1,334 mm)
Weight 2856lb
The fastest production car in the world in its time, the XK120 would go on to be developed into the XK140 and XK150 models
We thank Jim for the period photos which he provided in 2025, his 50th year of owning the Jaguar. It’s wonderful to see the race pictures from the 1980s. Marcus Bicknell.