It all started in 1972 at the VMCCA Duster's Meet held annually at the Museum of Transportation at Larz Anderson Park in Brookline MA.
There I spotted a pristine 1954 Jaguar XK120 alongside my 1950 Riley RMB. Though just 18 years old at the time (Jag and myself!) the Coventry Cat just oozed patina wrapped in stunning colors of dove gray and a chestnut brown interior. But the best part was the friendly owner, Bernie Yurt. Yurt was a U.S. Air Force sergeant from Boston who later founded the New England XK Association. Yurt took fastidious care of his XK120 driving it only on special occasions and displaying it occasionally at regional car shows.
Today, Mitch and Kim McCullough are the lucky custodians of the "Yurt Jag," having acquired the vehicle after Yurt passed away in 2014. Forty-plus years later, I was fortunate enough to stumble on the machine once again: at last year's Pebble Beach Concours and today at the Sturbridge MA JANE concours (where these photos were taken) and team Mitch & Kim there to great the many onlookers.
Stay tuned for a continuation post from none other than the McCullough's themselves where they describe firsthand the experience of owning this fabulous machine!
Above, Elizabeth Pierpont with Mitch and Kim McCullough