Lot 225: 1950 Jaguar XK120 Roadster

‘We claimed 120 mph (for the XK 120), a speed unheard of for a production car in those days’ - William Heynes, Chief Engineer, Jaguar Cars.
When Jaguar resumed car production in 1945, it dropped its pre-war sports car line to concentrate on saloon manufacture. But at the 1948 Motor Show the firm astonished the public by announcing a new two-seater roadster, the ‘XK120’ name reflecting its top speed. The XK120 heralded the arrival of Jaguar’s famous 3.4-litre twin overhead camshaft XK engine, intended for the Mark VII saloon, then two years away. Its chassis was essentially a shortened version of the simultaneously announced Mark V saloon, with torsion bar independent suspension.
The XK120's comfort and roadholding set new standards for British sports cars and, of all the XK series cars, its name alone reflected its top speed. In May 1949, on the Jabbeke to Aeltre autoroute, an example with its hood and sidescreen in place recorded a speed of 126mph and no less than 132mph with the hood and windscreen detached and an under-tray fitted.
The car was in almost instant demand and it caught Jaguar by surprise. The first 240 examples retained coachbuilt aluminium bodies before Pressed Steel hulls took over. The open two-seater model was joined by a fixed-head coupé version in 1951 and a drophead coupé followed in 1953. The 120 lasted until 1954 before making way for its XK140 successor. It was to prove the most popular of the series, with 12,078 examples built, and of these 1,175 were right-hand drive roadsters like that offered here.
An exceptionally original car preserved in unrestored condition, ‘660376’ has enjoyed only four owners and is believed to have covered only 24,000-or-so miles from new. In the vendor’s possession for the past ten years, the XK comes with its original hardtop and soft-top, and is fitted with steel wheels and spats. The chassis is described as in very good order and the body as solid and generally good, while the engine is complete. A quantity of new parts (water hoses and assorted gaskets) is included in the sale together with a complete (later) spare engine. Offered with old-style logbook, expired MoT (1963) and Swansea V5, this ‘time warp’ XK120 is an excellent candidate for sympathetic restoration.