The late race driver/journalist Denise McCluggage was inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America on March 8, 2022, and a classic sports car that set the trailblazer on her motorsports path was part of the celebration.
The 1956 Jaguar XK140 credited with inspiring the racing career of the trailblazing motorsports icon – once lost but now found – was given to Denise McCluggage by American sportsman Briggs Cunningham because he saw something special in her.
Fiercely competitive and highly respected, McCluggage, who passed away in 2015, was an extraordinary woman who broke gender barriers with legendary charm and merit.
Click here to read the Business Wire March 1, 2022 press release.
Click here to read the Vintage Motorsport March 2, 2022 press release.
Click here to read the Road & Track article “Denise McCluggage Was a True Automotive Trailblazer.”
Click here to view the race history of the Jaguar XK-140.
While on this subject, here is a link to a Bill of Sale from Jaguar of N.Y. Distributors, Inc. (Briggs S. Cunningham) to Denise McCluggage for a 1959 OSCA S1100 No. 767 dated November 9, 1959. The original document is in the Lawrence Berman Collection. It’s possible that both the Jaguar and the OSCA were gifts to her.
1959 OSCA S-type Roadster Chassis 767, engine 758.
Sold for $605,000 at 2016 Gooding & Company, Pebble Beach. The OSCA S273 was originally designed for the 1100cc OSCA engine.