I recently acquired a vintage hard top for my XK140 Roadster made by SCOTTOP of San Diego back in the 1950’s. I am going to pen an article for the XK Gazette but thought I would share some pictures here and also happy to answer questions as I can.
Hi Ken,
Sent you a PM regarding your earlier mail. This looks absolutely fantastic. Do you still have the round “S” emblem? Would be nice on this beauty!
Bob K.
I prefer the Glaspar top for the nicer looking and better view out the rear window in addition it fits down better over rear wing upper B post.
I have one of these I purchased in LA and in fact have made reproductions of it.
For my own 140 roadster I have opted for an Australia made one made by one of Australia’s top race car builders back in the 1950’s. He made one for another Jaguar as well a car you rarely see a hardtop fitted to!!!
Terry,
I tend to disagree with you, as I think the German built Rometsch Hardtop is probably the best (design and overall built-quality). But then again it was a hardtop made by a well-known German car-builder, using steel, glass and a special brass frame mounted on the doors. This 1953 built hardtop had 4 owners and now resides in the USA.
Bob K.
bob my text was that I preferred the Glaspar over the Scott not that the Glaspar was the best of some 50 hardtops fitted to XK120’s
As a point of interest, has there ever been a hardtop produced for an XK140DHC?
Yes I do, thought I included a photo, let me do so. I have both emblems but honestly did not see a good place to mount them on the top as I would have to drill new holes to do so.
Terry,
Personally I think the Glaspar top looks a little too “bubbly” and doesn’t mesh as well with the lines of the car, at least not a 140. I like the “arrow” on the top of the SCOTTOP and my top would fit better to the body with the proper seal which we are still searching for in white/ivory. We’ve found it in black but not in white/ivory thus far. We needed “something” for the show so we went with that seal but it doesn’t sit down flush on the body like it should. I will post follow up pictures once we made it work better. I like your Australian one, shame that more of those aren’t available.
Noel (I assume),
The combination DHC and Hardtop is rather complex and as far as I know there’s only one example. This hardtop was build for Warwick Gillin on 667283 and resides in Australia.
Terry McGrath and John Elmgreen may have more information regarding which company actually built that special hardtop.
Bob K.
Ken,
Almost all US hardtops with a round emblem (and there are quite a few) positioned the emblem in the lower triangle near the B pillar. See some examples: you can zoom in. But in some cases a bolt (with a bracket to hold the hardtop) is placed at the same spot which might create some confusion…
Bob K.
would it be possible to get a closer shot of this badge ie bigger thanks terry
I have seen this car many many years ago now converted back to original.
I am very sure the top was not removable so not really a removable hardtop
Bigger than the photo I supplied above? Let me see what I can do, not sure how well my phone takes close up shots…
Ok I took some more photos. You can see the two finishing screws near the lower triangle / b-pillar area. Those attach to a bracket on the inside of the top that fits over the “D” roll to hold it snug in that area. The distance between the 2 screws is greater than the distance between the holes on the round emblem and if you were able to attach it that way the emblem would be 90 degrees the wrong way as the emblem would require the mounting screws to be horizontal not vertical. Hope this helps explain it. You can see minor differences between the 2 emblems in terms of wear and printing. It looks like the emblems have been mounted at some point in the past, I’m just not sure where, at least as far as this top goes anyway…
Bob here are those pictures from the Facebook group in case you weren’t able to join that group. Any idea which top this is? It’s for sale.
Ken,
Still many questions before we could say what brand it is. In any case not a “Jaguar factory made XK hardtop” as they don’t exist.
Questions:
- Does it actually fit on an XK 120/140? The “door” opening is not intended to be used in combination with the standard Jaguar side windows. It might well be for another British Sportscar like a “Big Healey” or a Triumph TR2 & 3.
- What material is it made of? Glass-fiber polyester or metal?
Looking at the overall concept my “wild guess” would be a (late Fifties) Hardtop made by the British company Universal Laminations (UL) of London, and may be that’s behind the idea that it was “Jaguar made”. UL is known for their typical design with extra side windows behind the door opening (see below), but later also offered hardtops without these (second pic).
This company typically used glassfibre reinforced polyester for the hardtops but covered with vinyl at the outside and a “luxuriously” trimmed interior. But the UL interiors I’ve seen all used a kind of woven material (like Jute, see below).
Also typical for UL is the use of an interior light (although normally positioned in the center of the hardtop). The hooks that clip to the windscreen frame look correct, but are also used for other brands/models.
UL also offered their own side windows which might explain the different shape of the door opening (if it is meant for a Jaguar XK). The aluminium “drip rail” above the door is probably a later addition.
So resuming, it might be a British Made Universal Laminations hardtop, but we need more evidence before that can be confirmed.
Bob K.
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Thanks Bob, I see there is a listing in XK Gazette for a Jaguar Works hardtop, not sure if it is the same one on Facebook that I posted pictures of here or not but the woman on Facebook claimed it was a Jaguar Works hardtop so the language being used is similar, although as you said, there aren’t any made by Jaguar.
Loos good.Be careful of rubbing thrunthe paint behind the cockpit