The sole surviving Jaguar Écurie Écosse XK120 that raced at 80MM
Any car that wears the evocative Flag Blue livery of the Écurie Écosse racing stable deserves celebration. Representing the ‘little team from Scotland that beat the world’s best’, there’s always a significant amount of prestige surrounding the racers that built accountant David Murray’s motor racing success. A success that began as a true privateer, which would ultimately lead to winning the Le Mans 24 Hours outright. Twice.
The sole survivor of three original Écurie Écosse XK120 roadsters from the team’s debut 1951 season, ‘LXO 126’ was a must-visit at the 80th Members’ Meeting presented by Audrain Motorsport.
The man responsible for piloting it in the Tony Gaze Trophy, a race for road-going sports and GT cars of a type that raced between 1948 and 1954, is owner Steve Ward, who expertly shared his passion for this precious and truly unique piece of motorsport history.
“I've had it for nine years. No one has ever been able to show me that there is another one, so we do believe it’s the only surviving original. One of the first three. I purchased it in 2014, I think simply because I loved the colour of it.”
Whether this was modesty, or a dry sense of humour, Ward had carefully done his research before pulling the trigger, picking up a prized racer with significant competition pedigree for the purpose of driving the Mille Miglia with his son.
“In 2014 it was already committed to a couple of things, including the Mille Miglia with Jay Leno and also the Le Mans Classic with Jarrah Venables. The following year, I had it restored. I wouldn't say fully restored, because it was in quite good condition already. My youngest son and I then did the Mille Miglia in 2015.”
“After that, we were puzzled about what to do with it. It was a lovely experience to do the Mille Miglia, but this is a racing car. It's been a racing car for nearly all of its life, apart from when it disappeared for 10-15 years. So, we decided the only thing we could do is get our racing licences and go race. I was 61 at the time, so I thought why not – you only live once! I then raced it here for the first time in 2018.”
Goodwood had its first taste of ‘LXO 126’ when it was raced in 1951 by its first owner. The car was then purchased by Sir James Scott Douglas, who himself raced it here in 1952. That same year the larger-than-life Scotsman finished third in the 223-mile Grand Prix of Reims, driving the elegantly sleek and low-slung XK120.
“He was a massive 6′6″ guy. When you see pictures of him in the car, you wonder how on earth he got in it, let alone drove it. He raced it all over Britain between 1951 and 1952. I met a gentleman here who told me that Sir James was also a mentor for Jim Clark, who would have been of a young age around the time, so I'll have to go away and research any possible link between Jim and the car as well.
“It has a wonderful history, which obviously attracted me: the story of the fabled Écurie Écosse Team. I managed to get a lot of the original marketing materials, also. Lots of images of tartan-clad guards blowing pipes around Edinburgh and the Golden Mile.
“It was also driven by the son of the Home Secretary, Reginald Maudling, for a couple of races in the early ’60s, whose name was Peter, before it was restored in the ’70s by a retired Navy captain called Tony May.”
For a man committed to keeping this valuable car racing, Ward is relaxed about results. The XK120 finished 11th in the Tony Gaze Trophy, but Ward was focused solely on sharing his passion for the car’s story, and its ingrained sportscar spirit.
“This is a lovely circuit to drive with this car. It's just great fun. Like all old cars, if you've never driven one, you have to learn how to drive it. It's long-bodied, rear-wheel drive, front-end heavy, so it likes to move around. When you slam on the brakes, everything shifts from left to right. It's very powerful and very responsive for what it is. When you put your foot down, it really does go. No lag or anything. It's a period 3.4 litre-engine with around 238PS (175kW). I have the original, but we didn’t want to kill that racing.”
Overalls on, helmet in hand, Ward was prepared to write another line in his XK120’s long legacy, but not before a word on his experience of coming to racing within his 60s.
“I talk to lots of the younger generation here at Goodwood about racing, and the car. Many of them are surprised when I tell them I’ve only been racing for 7 years. I hope it inspires them that they too can go racing in cars like this one day.”
The 82nd Members’ Meeting will take place on 12th and 13th April 2025 and tickets are now available for Members and Fellows of the GRRC.
If you’re not already a Member or Fellow and you’d like to enjoy all the racing, demos, and other exciting content at the Members’ Meeting, you’ll need to join the GRRC. Click here for more information or to join the club.
Photography by Nick Wilkinson and Tom Baigent.
members' meeting
80th Members' Meeting
80MM
Event Coverage
Tony Gaze Trophy
jaguar
XK120
Ecurie Ecosse
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