Hello,
I am writing to inquire if any of your members may recollect Bob Smiley, an avid and active Jaguar enthusiast, restorer, and racer who passed away in the 1980's.
Bob was a dear friend of my father's. They taught school together in Huntington, Long Island, NY. I spent two summers as a teenager in the mid-seventies, working (apprenticing) for Bob, restoring an XK-120 and prepping his racing XK-140.
Bob owned a silver XK-120MC which, I believe, had a racing provenance. He also owned a black XK-120, and campaigned the aforementioned XK-140 (number 56) in SCCA C or D production. I have fond memories of crewing for him at Bridgehampton and Lime Rock.
In the 1980's, Bob campaigned a sports racer (Lola?). He was tragically killed at home while working on this car. I was in Europe at the time serving as an Army Officer, and never knew the details.
A few years ago, I saw a photo in a magazine of, what I think may be, the silver car (attached below).
Today, I am a Jaguar owner and enthusiast. We currently own a 2017 F-Pace S and a 1994 XJ-S ... our fourth and fifth Jags.
My grandson has turned out to be a young sports car aficionado. It would bring me great joy to be able to show him Bob's old silver XK-120 or racing XK-140 if they still exist.
Thank you in advance for any help that you or the membership might provide!
Kind regards,
Mark Cuppernull
Winchester, VA
markcuppernull@aol.com
(908) 268-5420