“Rusty old shell covered in bird droppings” -worth €120,000

Vehicle history expert Cartell.ie report on news the Circuit Civil Court today ruled on a dispute of ownership over a 64-year-old Jaguar partly restored by a Dublin panel beater – in his favour. It is reported in the media that Derek Tynan, who owns a bodyshop and service centre at Damastown, Blanchardstown, has already invested €40,000 plus thousands of man hours into restoring the vehicle when a dispute over ownership broke out and the matter was referred to the court. The vehicle, a Jaguar XK120 is expected to be worth at least €120,000 when returned to its former condition.

Mr. Tynan told the court he was given the vehicle, in a poor state of repair, by Mrs. Duffy, the widow of a deceased car dealer when he cleared a barn for her. Her son and Mr. Tynan’s son were friends. An ownership dispute arose when another individual – a classic car dealer – claimed ownership of the vehicle saying he held the logbook for it and had asked the late Mr. Duffy to store it for him in circumstances where – it appears- his ownership had never been registered in the vehicle. The vehicle had been shipped to Ireland in boxes in 1951 and assembled here by a Dublin company. Judge Jacqueline Linnane ruled she could find no evidence there was any agreement with the late Mr. Duffy to store the vehicle and she granted Mr Tynan a declaration that he was the de facto owner of ZL 5171, a 1951 Jaguar XK 120, chassis number 660111 and was entitled to possession of the car and to be the registered owner. Story from Independent.ie.