2011-03-23 08:08:12 | xke7 writes:

www.jdht.com

One owner from new - a unique record!

Very few people achieve the milestone of celebrating their 100th birthday. Even fewer are still driving a car at this age. One man in Pennsylvania, USA has achieved both these things; but he also holds a rather unique record. Fred Mack purchased a new Jaguar XK120 from his local dealer in August 1953 and he is still the proud owner of this car today. As far as anyone knows, this gives him the world record for owning a Jaguar from new.

2011-03-24 07:09:30 | xke7 writes:

Fred was born on March 20, 1911, four years before the outbreak of WW1. His first driving experience was at the tender age of 10, using his father's car for trips to the local store and post office near his home in the Pennsylvania countryside. This was around the same time that a young William Lyons was setting up the Swallow sidecar company in Blackpool. Fred started work at the Fairchild's aircraft factory in 1933, something that led to a long career as an industrial designer both within and outside the aircraft industry.

It was not until the early 1940s that Fred bought his first car - a second hand Model A Ford. He progressed from this to a new Ford V8 Businessman's Coupe, which was capable of 90 mph. This whetted Fred's appetite for faster cars and in the early 1950's he acquired an MG which he described as "a nice car to drive".

Minimum order for three cars
Then in 1953, the dealer who had sold Fred the MG wanted to start selling Jaguars. However, there was a hitch; he was required to place a minimum order for three cars. "So he came to our local car club and said if anyone would order an XK120, they could have it for the wholesale price, so he could make up the order". Luckily, Fred and a couple of others duly obliged, resulting in an order being placed for an XK120 roadster in slate grey with red leather trim and wire wheels.

When Fred went to pick the car up from Hoffmans in New York, it turned out to be white and fitted with solid wheels. The purchase price was US$3,400 and Fred negotiated a $100 refund for the wire wheels not delivered! However, despite this start, he was very pleased with his new Jaguar and wrote to the company to say as much. He duly received a letter back from Jaguar signed by William Lyons himself. This has been carefully kept by Fred along with the original guarantee document dated August 8, 1953.

Fred used the car for everyday transport initially but over the years it gradually became more of a collector's item. It has only covered around 50,000 miles in its 58 years on the road and has been restored just once between 1995 and 1999, when the paint and leather were renewed. In more recent years the car has won many concourse trophies and prizes - many within his local club, the Delaware Valley Jaguar Club, which has made him an Emeritus Member.

History repeating itself
Thanks to the Delaware Valley Jaguar Club official, Michael Tate, Jaguar was made aware earlier this year of Fred's impending 100th birthday and his amazing record as the longest standing owner of a Jaguar car from new. In recognition of this, Fred has now received another letter from Jaguar - this time from today's Managing Director, Mike O'Driscoll. "I would like to congratulate Fred on this amazing double achievement" said Mike. "To reach the milestone of his 100th birthday and to have owned his XK120 for 58 of these years gives Fred a unique position in Jaguar history".

In his capacity also as Chairman of Jaguar Heritage, Mike O'Driscoll has sent Fred a copy of the definitive book on the XK120, suitably inscribed by its author Anders Clausager, who is now Jaguar Heritage's Chief Archivist. In addition, he has been sent an authentic Heritage Certificate for his car, chassis number 674111, based on data extracted from the original factory records preserved in the archive. "We hope that Fred will enjoy these little mementoes as he celebrates his birthday with his fellow club members" added Mike.

As William Lyons said in his letter from 1953, "..we do take particular pride in the satisfaction which Jaguar owners derive from their cars", a sentiment that Jaguar still holds very much true today.

2011-03-25 20:27:28 | terry mcgrath writes:

Reference the statement above and below: close but not yet the record which at this point is held by the Maharani Gayatri Devi of India with 660177 purchased new (OK gift from husband) but she kept it until she died in july 2009 ownership period 58 years 7 months. Fred stands at 57 years 7 months. Given Fred is still going strong my guess is he will soon become the record holder. Terry

"One owner from new - a unique record! As far as anyone knows, this gives him the world record for owning a Jaguar from new."

2011-05-23 16:09:24 | pauls writes:

JHT reference to the car and owner:
www.jaguarheritage.org/News/10-one-owner-from-new-a-unique-record.aspx

2013-08-04 20:32:47 | pauls writes:

Car to be at auction 8/13
www.bonhams.com/auctions/20994/lot/173/

Auction description:
1953 Jaguar XK120 OTS Chassis no. 674111 Engine no. W9122-8
16 Aug 2013 11:00 PDT Carmel Motorcars
Lot 173
The Property of Fred Mack, sole owner since new
1953 Jaguar XK120 Roadster
Chassis no. 674111
Engine no. W 9122-8
3,442cc DOHC Inline 6-Cylinder Engine
Twin SU carburetors
180bhp at 5,300rpm
4-Speed Manual Transmission
Independent Front Suspension, Rear Semi-Elliptical Leaf Springs
4-Wheel Hydraulic Drum Brakes

*Believed to be the longest Jaguar ownership of all - 60 years
*Offered with original guarantee and letter from Lyons
*Original tool roll included
*Excellent model for rallies and tours
*One of the fastest sports cars of its day

There can be few gentlemen of 102 years of age that are spritely as Fred Mack. In 2006 he celebrated his 95th Birthday by skydiving, and enjoyed the experience so much that two years ago as he 'turned the ton' he did it again! Today, he lives in Newtown Square in Pennsylvania, but he has lived in various states on the Eastern seaboard and over the course of more than a century he feels he can record having driven through 46 of the U.S. States - he estimates having covered more than three million miles "mostly at top speed," in some eighteen automobiles that he has owned since his teens.

Having been schooled at the New York University Guggenheim School of Aeronautics, his career path saw him work for a whole host of aviation and aircraft engineering companies, including Seversky, Brewster, Curtiss, Glenn L. Martin and Piasecki Helicopters among others. Roughly forty percent of his way through his life he took a job with the Otis Elevator Company advising them on the design of airplane structure, which necessitated a move to New York City. There for the first time he saw and sat in a Jaguar XK120 in the New York showroom close to Fifth Avenue, and while it created the desire to own one, this was a pipe dream at that time. A solid wage increase with his move to Piasecki, combined with an increasing interest, shared by his first wife, in SCCA events turned that dream to a reality. One day, at a Rose Tree Car Club event in Media, Pennsylvania a sports car dealer approached him saying that he wanted to sell Jaguars, but needed to order three to be granted that option. Mack promptly ordered one with him, choosing the scheme of the car he'd sat in before, Slate Grey with a red interior and chrome wire wheels. The dealer was able to get it for him for $3,600 instead of the going rate of $4,400. He still has the Jaguar sales sheet where he worked out the calculations, which is on file! When he went to collect his new car from Hoffman's Importers, it was white with red interior and had painted wires, the dealer explaining that he felt this was better suited to him!

From that day in 1953, the car has very much been part of his life. In the early 1990s after a period of storage, when the car had sat under a plastic cover and its paint had lifted, Mr. Mack decided to refurbish the XK. After an arduous battle with a restorer, the car emerged with new paint, and a renewed interior.

The Jaguar was ready in time for Fred to take it to a Franklin Mint show in 1999 and at the age of 91 for him to drive a 250 mile round trip to his Wyoming Seminary reunion in Kingston, Pennsylvania. A few years later at his 95th birthday the Jaguar Club gave him a party. Today at the car's ripe age of 60 years, with continuous ownership from new, perhaps the celebration should be for the car as it's unlikely that any Jaguar has been owned so long anywhere in the country, or even the world and it has been acknowledged as such.

Now lightly aged from its post cosmetic restoration use, it has recently been serviced prior to the sale. Accompanying it are its original tool roll and a guarantee statement dated August 8th, 1953. Together with these is a charming personalized letter from Jaguar Cars Ltd. dated a few months after he received the car thanking him for his purchase and reminding him that their client service doesn't end at that point, signed by William Lyons. In terms of provenance, it doesn't get much better than that.
Estimate:
US$ 75,000 - 95,000

2013-12-11 07:10:15 | Anonymous writes:

The car is now in a collection in Germany (Kautschuk Klassik Kollektion). All original car, superb driver.

2014-03-10 18:01:54 | Lofty writes:

Single ownership (Fred Mack) from 1953 to 2013. Since 2013 in Kautschuk Kollektion in Germany.