Chassis no. 670028
French registration
Sold without technical control
August 29, 1951, Nice. The Promenade des Anglais is transformed into a closed park for the first post-war edition of the legendary Tour de France Automobile. The program for this incredible event, supported - like the cycling version - by L'Equipe newspaper, no less than 5,239 km divided into 6 stages, with a total of 7 classification events (special stages and circuits). Nearly 100 competitors lined up at the start that day in an automotive inventory worthy of Prévert, ranging from pre-war Hotchkiss to the latest Ferrari 212 Export, not forgetting 2CVs, Jaguar XK120s, Peugeot 203s and Aston Martin DB2s. It has to be said that the rules of this first Tour Auto opened the door to all and "without any restrictions", since they were reserved for "production passenger cars" which, thanks to the long list of authorized transformations, became "specially adapted production cars". To aim for overall victory, a system of coefficients was put in place, supposed to balance out the differences between the cars, particularly in terms of engine capacity. In the end, however, it was the "big guns" who had the upper hand, including the Ferraris and Jaguar XK 120s.
It was at the wheel of one of the very first Open Two Seater roadsters (aluminum body, in other words), purchased from the French importer Charles Delecchi.
French importer Charles Delecroix in left-hand drive that Henri Peignaux, an accomplished gentleman driver and Jaguar dealer for the Lyon region, co-driven by Roger Montabert. The car, in Battleship Grey, proved to be a top performer from the outset, driven by Peignaux in masterly fashion. On the second stage, the crew set the fastest time in the Col de Peyresourde hill-climb in the Pyrenees, averaging over 75 km/h, leaving the event's eventual winner, "Pagnibon", at the wheel of his Ferrari 212, behind. Alas, in the third race, Montabert went off the road, Peignaux was seriously injured and the car badly damaged. During his convalescence, Peignaux entrusted the wrecked Jaguar (it seems that a new, unstamped replacement chassis had been ordered from the factory) to a friend from the Ardèche, Jean Barou, a coachbuilder specializing in advertising vehicles and sports cars.
A few months later, the Jaguar returned to Lyon rigged as a superb sedan with an Italian-inspired design.
Peignaux sold it in this configuration to one of his customers, also keen to try his hand at racing, a Dijon man by the name of Jean Laroche who, co-driven by Jean Radix, was to take part in the legendary and very difficult Liège-Rome-Liège 1952. Given the weather conditions and the toughness of the event, also known as the Marathon de la Route, which is run on open roads in a single stage of over 3,500 km, competitors like to enter closed cars, such as the Berlinette Barou, which also has a helmet holder for the co-driver, whose role is already essential. The Dijon crew, number 82, put in a fine performance to take second place in the event, behind the victorious Porsche 356. That year, only 24 of the 125 starting crews finished...
Barou also produced a berlinette, seen at the 1954 Lyon-Charbonnières, which differed from the first in its grille and a few other details. He also produced a barquette, also entered in the Lyon-Charbonnières, but with no further success. While the second berlinette has disappeared, the barquette has survived, restored in the 1980s by Roland Urban, a specialist in Jaguar specials, and entered several times in the historic Mille Miglia by one of its subsequent owners.
Our sublime, high-performance Jaguar sedan #670028 was resold in 1952 and again in 1954, before fading into oblivion. It was through a classified ad that the current owner, an enlightened enthusiast, purchased the car. He had the car - then white - repainted in its current red hue, and used it on several rallies, where he met Roland Urban, among others, who noted the car's great authenticity, its low degree of wear and tear, and its high performance. These characteristics were also confirmed by Bernard Viart, the XK pope (to whom we'd like to express our thanks for the many details he provided).
TOUR AUTO 2025
La Vente Officielle
7 AVRIL 2025 À 16H • PARIS EXPO, PORTE DE VERSAILLES
