Denise McCluggage was one-of-a-kind. The journalist and racer combined her passion for all things on wheels by both competing on the track and describing the experience in stunning words when she was off of it. Now, one of her very first racing cars — the No. 23 1956 Jaguar XK140 MC DHC — is going up on the block at The Auburn Auction, scheduled for September 1 to 3.
McCluggage is something of a titan in the automotive and motorsport worlds. While her true talent resided in the realm of words, she earned her respect by going out and competing herself. After all, as the first woman allowed in the Indianapolis 500 pits to report on the prestigious event, she’d need to know her stuff.
This particular Jaguar is one of McCluggage’s first racing machines, a gift from Briggs Cunningham to help her establish herself on the track. Owning it would be owning a piece of automotive history.
If you’re interested in reading more about the discovery of this Jaguar, I wrote a nice little piece about it for Road & Track. Basically, a Jaguar enthusiast bought this particular car at an estate sale 25 years ago, but the thing mostly just sat until the buyer planned a move to Europe. This particular XK140 didn’t make the cut — mostly because no one knew its significance, aside from the fact that it was rumored to be once owned by Briggs Cunningham. A handful of historians tracked down the history of the machine and learned that Cunningham then handed off the car to Denise McCluggage. Behind its wheel, McCluggage launched a successful racing career and, crucially, learned firsthand what it was to compete in motorsport — something that only helped her reporting.
This Jaguar was displayed earlier this year at Daytona International Speedway, when Lady Leadfoot herself was inducted in the Motorsports Hall of Fame.
You can check out more details about the car at Worldwide Auctioneers, including its specs. There’s currently no estimate on how much this historic machine will sell for.
