Distracted Driver Obliterates 1948 Jaguar XK120 During Mille Miglia Warm-Up

Two Italian drivers, Giuseppe Cerbone and Nicolo Bottini Bongrani, were traveling through Austria last week in a gorgeous British Racing Green 1948 Jaguar XK120, as part of a Mille Miglia warm-up. As they were driving along the Schwaitl Landesstraße, a woman going in the opposite direction was reportedly distracted by her phone and smashed into the vintage Jag, per Austrian publication Kronen Zeitung. Thankfully, no one was severely injured, although the Italians were seen with bloodied faces as they argued about the incident on the side of the road.

In a video of the aftermath posted to X, you can hear one of the Jag’s occupants start speaking in Italian before switching to English, alleging that the woman’s attention was buried in her phone, leading her to swerve across the road into oncoming traffic; she can be heard saying “I’m sorry” in response. Her car, a late-model Opel Insignia, also appeared to be totaled from the impact.

The Mille Miglia Warm-Up is exactly what it sounds like—a preparation event for the real Mille Miglia that takes place every June in Italy. There are warm-ups in several countries besides Austria, but it looks like these two Italian drivers aren’t going to be participating in any others unless they can find a new ride. Their XK120 seems completely wrecked, likely suffering from heavy front-end frame damage. Even if it’s fixable, the repair isn’t being completed anytime soon.

Thankfully, there are about nine months until the 2025 Mille Miglia, so Cerbone and Bongrani have time to figure out their next steps. Unfortunately, a normal, nicely sorted XK120 will set you back around $100,000, depending on its condition. However, Cerbone and Bongrani’s XK120 wasn’t just any ordinary one. Since it was reportedly a 1948 model year, it was one of the first 240 models to be built with aluminum bodies. After that, Jag switched to steel bodywork, as it was easier for large-scale production. The early aluminum cars can be worth two to three times more, according to Hagerty. Hopefully, their XK120 was insured enough that they’ll be able to fix or replace the car, and get in some more reps before next year’s running.

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