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Colin Crabbe's D-Types found in Cuba:all eventually authenticated?


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#1 HistoryBuff

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Posted 29 January 2015 - 18:33

When I met Colin Crabbe at Monterey some years ago I didn't know about his D-types found in Cubra.

Since saw mention of XKSS766 and XKSS725 but I wanted to know if the two or three he found in Cuba

and brought back to the UK were all authenticated as genuine D-types or at least XKSS cars?

 

I am also interested in how he found them (scout in Cuba?) and if it is merely an old rumor that one of the cars

had been pranged and had an E-type nose so those seeing it parked assumed it was just an E-type?

 

Finally has it been printed what he paid for them or traded? It seems like a truck full of '55 Chevy parts would go a long way

toward trading material for an exotic in Cuba as the streets seem full of American iron of '50s vintage.

 

Were the British car dealers the main "raiders" of the treasures of Cuba , I know Americans were forbidden to fly there, so I guess they had an advantage for some years. What other European dealers were looking for exotic cars there?

 

I thought at this date Jan. 29th, things were thawing between Cuba and the U.S. but I think Castro spoke up the other day

and is putting the freeze back on...



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#2 bradbury west

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Posted 29 January 2015 - 19:32

Is there any news of Mr Crabbe's autobiography? One to anticipate, I feel
Roger Lund

#3 D-Type

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Posted 29 January 2015 - 23:26

If I remember the story, Colin Crabbe was foraging in Cuba and saw an E-Type bonnet propped up against a wall and dismissed it.  Then he remembered that Castro pre-dated the E-Type so he went back and found it was an XKSS bonnet and the rest of the car was also there.



#4 raceannouncer2003

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Posted 30 January 2015 - 06:12

This was apparently the D-type he brought back…XKD521:

 

http://www.racingspo...6-03-24-016.jpg

 

Vince H.



#5 JoBo

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Posted 31 January 2015 - 10:44

Is there any news of Mr Crabbe's autobiography? One to anticipate, I feel
Roger Lund

 

Colin`s book will come with Dalton Watson.com.

As far as he told me they are now in the editing process.

 

JoBo


Edited by JoBo, 31 January 2015 - 10:44.


#6 terry mcgrath

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Posted 07 February 2015 - 04:44

Certainly colin crabbe brought the remains of 2 XKSS in Cuba and took them back to the UK. 

I very much doubt that he in fact found XKD521 as this car was never mentioned when he got the 2 XKSS and a lot to do was made of this at the time and you would think that 2 XKSS and a D type would have been huge news.

The 2 x XKSS where both well photographed but no photo of a third car has ever been suggested to exist.

There is evidence to suggest that parts of XKD521 had been in New York at some point.

I would say that it has become convenient in later years to say XKD521 was recovered as well.

Interestingly Colin didn't find/discover these 2 XKSS they were well known of in various circles, his main achievement was in extracting both cars.

In fact photos I have show one car being repaired/rebuilt in Cuba.

Certainly both XKSS's are the real mccoy and have no blemishes in their history apart from one possibly being involved in a fatal accident and  both having been raced an spent their lives in Cuba!

The history of these 2 cars can be followed through in the following 2 books 

Jaguar C-, D-, E-type Register      http://www.paulskill...ji4l1p5li0keck6

or

Palawan Press D type book due out shortly

ess



#7 Vitesse2

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Posted 06 June 2015 - 13:13

Is there any news of Mr Crabbe's autobiography? One to anticipate, I feel
Roger Lund

You may have seen this already, Roger ...

 

Colin Crabbe: the supercar supersleuth

#8 JodiREllis

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Posted 01 January 2016 - 22:54

Colin's book will be going to the printer in the next few weeks. Expect books in hand by the early spring 2016! Find Colin Crabbe - Thrill of the Chase on Facebook or on his publisher's (Dalton Watson) website. 



#9 Peter Morley

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Posted 13 January 2016 - 15:26

Interestingly Colin didn't find/discover these 2 XKSS they were well known of in various circles, his main achievement was in extracting both cars.
In fact photos I have show one car being repaired/rebuilt in Cuba.

Most 'barn finds' are usually known to some extent or other, the French collection of cars that was sold at Retromobile last year was known to various marque experts as was the British Bugatti 57 sold at a previous Retromobile.

But as you say Colin's real achievement was extracting the various cars from some notoriously difficult countries (and their owners of course!).

 

Having heard Foulkes-Halbard's story of driving an E-type (with rather unusual gold lined sills) into Eastern Europe I'm really looking forward to reading this book...



#10 HistoryBuff

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Posted 23 April 2016 - 16:17

Does anybody remember what Colin Crabbe bought the XK-SS for in Cuba , either one that there has been a price quoted for? Hopefully the price is in Pounds as I don't know how reliable a conversion chart would be if his purchase price was quoted in Cuban currency.

 

Generally it seems buying an old car in a foreign country is problematic in that it is hard to establish the ownership via a title (race cars sometimes weren't titled, only had a log book) but getting it out of the country probably means bribing various officials who will block exportation until such-and-such fee is paid. I hope when the book comes out the full story will be told.

I would only buy an old car in a far off third world country if I had a powerful government official clearing the way so to speak



#11 JoBo

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Posted 24 April 2016 - 12:57

Does anybody remember what Colin Crabbe bought the XK-SS for in Cuba , either one that there has been a price quoted for? Hopefully the price is in Pounds as I don't know how reliable a conversion chart would be if his purchase price was quoted in Cuban currency.

 

Generally it seems buying an old car in a foreign country is problematic in that it is hard to establish the ownership via a title (race cars sometimes weren't titled, only had a log book) but getting it out of the country probably means bribing various officials who will block exportation until such-and-such fee is paid. I hope when the book comes out the full story will be told.

I would only buy an old car in a far off third world country if I had a powerful government official clearing the way so to speak

Well, you are speaking in terms of today.

 

When Colin baught the XKSS in Cuba many moons ago the rules were much more complicated in that country.

 

Today its a little easier to get a car out of Fidel`s paradise.

 

btw.- I had the chance to help Dalton Watson editing Colin`s book. Its a very nice read and with losts of funny anecdotes.

 

JoBo