2014-11-10 03:12:23 | SALOON Data writes:

The record was updated:

2014-01-12 20:09:10 | pauls writes:

Car to be at auction 3/14
www.historics.co.uk/buying/auctions/2014-03-08/car/1963-jaguar-mkii-%28the-1992- ...

Auction description:
1963 Jaguar Mk.II (The 1992 Steve O'Rourke & David Gilmore Pan American Race Car)
Registration 140JWP
Chassis Number 162549BW
Engine Number KH-8684/8
Estimate £10,000 - £14,000

Steve O'Rourke was the manager of Pink Floyd but also built a highly successful parallel career as an enthusiastic gentleman racing driver - a lifelong passion which he shared with the Floyd's drumme,r Nick Mason and, to a lesser extent, with David Gilmour. He adored Historic racing with cars of the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. In 1981 he founded EMKA Racing and began competition in a BMW M1 with Derek Bell. For Le Mans, he was joined by David Hobbs and Eddie Jordan. O'Rourke left the circuit on the night of the race to oversee a Pink Floyd concert in London then flew back the next morning and jumped straight into the car for another two-hour driving stint. His team later became supported by Aston Martin and he assisted in the construction of a Group C sportscar for Le Mans in 1983. The car saw success by 1985 when it briefly led the 24-Hours in the hands of co-driver Tiff Needell and finished ahead of the works-backed Jaguars, to O'Rourke's great amusement. The team briefly folded as Aston Martin left the project but in 1991, O'Rourke resurrected EMKA Racing and began varied participation in the British GT Championship, BPR Global GT Series and FIA GT Championship. He earned the British GT GT2 class drivers championship with co-driver Tim Sugden in 1997 then again in the GT1 class in 1998. However, O'Rourke's greatest racing success came while co-driving a second-hand McLaren F1 GTR at Le Mans with Tim Sugden and Bill Auberlen to finish fourth overall. Having saved money by refusing the costly update pack for the McLaren, O'Rourke typically spent as much again on a huge party for all concerned in the EMKA team's success. Also in that year, he and David Gilmour co-drove a Proteus Jaguar C-Type replica in the Pan American retro race, surviving a dramatic crash with only a broken leg. The events were covered in 'La Carrera Panamericana' - a film about the race which included a soundtrack of previously released and new tracks from Pink Floyd.
This 1963 Jaguar Mk. II was originally supplied from the factory as a 3.4 litre with automatic gearbox on 1st March to Miss M. Knowles, Kempsey, Worcestershire and finished in Sherwood Green. The car was purchased by Steve O'Rourke in 1991 to be prepared by his racing team and compete in the 1992 Pan American retro race, again with band member David Gilmore. The car was fully prepared with a rebuilt, dry-sumped 3.8 litre engine fitted with a full synchromesh gearbox. Bodywork was strengthened with the driver's side rear door being welded in, heavy duty anti-roll bar, all the side glass removed and fitted with clear Perspex, long distance racing fuel tank, up rated Koni suspension, heavy duty roll bar, lightweight pedals and torsion bar fitted to the rear axle and large oil tank. Even with all this preparation, unfortunately they did not complete the race due to a broken prop-shaft. The car returned to the UK where the engine and gearbox were removed and work was started to prepare it for track use. This Mk.II, with the crashed remains of the Proteus C T-ype, was purchased from Steve O'Rourke by David Beckett in the mid 1990's (missing the engine and gearbox) with the intention of rebuilding the car back to the Pan American specification. The car remained in his garage until 2012 when he sold it to Michael Ball, another historic racing enthusiast, who purchased a 3.8 litre engine and synchromesh gearbox for it; both of which items appear to have had work carried out on them and we are informed by the vendor that the engine is free and turns easily. Michael sadly passed away last year leaving this project for someone else to complete, enjoy and race again. It is supplied with a V5C registration form, a Jaguar Heritage Certificate and a copy of a letter from David Beckett to the vendor confirming the known history of the car.

2014-03-11 19:32:09 | pauls writes:

Car did not sell at above auction.