Distracted Driver Annihilates Rare Jaguar in Head-On Collision

The driver of an Opel sedan crossed into oncoming traffic and crashed into the classic Jag.

Photo by: Non Aesthetic Things / X

By: Jeff Perez

Sep 30, 2024 at 3:41pm ET

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Classic cars aren't meant to be stored, they're meant to be driven. Unfortunately, that puts them at risk of being dinged, scraped, or even worse, severely damaged—as the driver of this once-pristine 1948 Jaguar XK120 found out.

Giuseppe Cerbone and his co-driver Nicolo Bottini Bongrani were doing a test run for the Mille Miglia in their 1948 XK120 when they nearly collided head-on with an Opel Insignia. According to Austrian publication Kronen Zeitung, the driver of the Opel was distracted and crossed into oncoming traffic. The right front end of the Opel smashed into the right front end of the Jag, and both cars sustained serious damage.

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In a video posted to X (formerly Twitter), the driver of the XK alleges that the driver of the Opel was looking at her phone when the accident happened. The 23-year-old woman admits that she "had a call" and looked down at her phone briefly. Thankfully nobody was seriously injured in the crash, but the driver and passenger of the XK did sustain minor injuries.

As for the Jag, it's still unclear if it's a total loss or not. But the damage looks severe. A classic XK120 could set you back as much as $100,000 or more, depending on the condition and model year. The only bit of silver lining for the owner is that the next Mille Miglia doesn't take place until June of 2025, which gives them enough time to repair the vehicle for the race. If it's even able to be fixed, that is.