Family Ties: Sir William Lyons

There is more to this ‘Family Ties’ pairing than meets the eye. They are both Jaguars, yes, they are both part of the fine Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust collection, too. But more than that, they are important models in the life and career of Sir William Lyons.

He was later known as ‘Mr Jaguar’ for very good reason. From Swallow Sidecars came Jaguar in the mid-1930s (the SS name had taken on new connotations…), and the remarkable Lyons oversaw the engineering with William Heynes and designed by eye every Jaguar. Up to the XK120, that is, which was the last car entirely of Lyons’ creation.

The XK120 you’ll find among the expansive Family Ties display is no ordinary XK120, either. It was in this fixed-head coupé, LWK 707, that a quartet of racers set a new record of averaging 100mph over seven days and seven nights. Among them at Monthléry in 1952 was an up-and-coming Stirling Moss, who despite one finish in eight Grand Prix starts was on the way to greatness.

Leslie Johnson, who had come up with and funded the whole idea, joined him – two years after scoring the XK120’s first win and three years after Aston Martin’s first major win at Spa – along with handy amateur Jack Fairman, who’d shared with Moss at Le Mans, and Bert Hadley.

Johnson drove for nine solid hours when a spring broke on the harsh surface, in the process ensuring a further five records were broken. Once they were banked, the car was repaired and the seven days and seven nights tilt resumed. Successfully.

‘One of the most sensational runs for many years,’ wrote Motor Sport with rather large understatement, adding that Moss’ 121mph lap during the run was ‘Formidable!’

The XJ6 that it will be paired with was used by Lyons for two years after it rolled off the production line in 1968, and underlines the sheer breadth of his career. From those pre-war sidecars beginnings, he remained involved and engaged 41 years later to the XJ6 and even appeared in the publicity photos.

He was on record labelling the XJ6 ‘The finest Jaguar ever’, a fitting way for him to bow out of the company then under the stewardship of BMC.

For more of the Family Ties announced so far, click here.