JAGUAR XK120
The Jaguar XK120 is a sports automobile produced by Jaguar between 1948 and 1954. Jaguar's first post-war sports automobile replaced the SS 100, which was discontinued in 1940. The XK120, which debuted at the 1948 London Motor Show at Earls Court, set the sports car world on fire after reaching an unheard-of 120 mph. The XK120 dominated the London Motor Show, with orders pouring in almost immediately. Jaguar quickly rose to become the world's most sought automobile.
The XK120 Jaguar on display at Auto Vino is a replica of the record-breaking vehicle that was timed by officials of the Royal Automobile Club of Belgium on May 30, 1949, on the Ostend-Jabbeke motorway in Belgium, producing an average speed of 132.6 mph with the windshield replaced by a small aero screen.
Jaguar took its new XK120 (the 120 denoted the peak speed in miles per hour) to Jabbeke in Belgium to certify its top speed and came away with a clean record of slightly more than 132 mph.
The "120" alluded to the aluminum road vehicle's top speed of 120 mph. It was manufactured faster with the windshield removed, making it the world's fastest production automobile at the time of its launch.
In 1948, the first 242 XK120s were hand-made with aluminum bodies mounted on a steel chassis based on the Jaguar Mark V chassis and using some of the same parts built between late 1948 and early 1950.
The XK120 was initially meant to demonstrate Jaguar's revolutionary twin-cam engine, and it was an instant success when it debuted in October 1948. Following a tremendous public reaction, business founder William Lyons put the streamlined roadster into production, influencing the next few decades of sports vehicle history.
As England entered a period of austerity following WWII, higher octane level fuels were difficult to obtain; however, the Jaguar factory's access to 80 octane fuel provided it with the higher compression ratio required, allowing the journalists to test the maximum automobiles achievements in Belgium on the long straight stretch of road between Jabbeke and Ostend.
The drophead coupé (DHC) and closed coupé (FHC) dashboards and door caps were wood-veneered, but the open cars were leather-trimmed. All versions included removable "fender skirts" that covered the rear wheel arches and added to the sleek appearance in America.
The 1949-54 Jaguar XK-120 sports car became one of the most popular British sports automobiles, signaling to the British car industry that they, together with the Aston Martin company acquired by David Brown in 1947, were on their way back. The XK-120 was constructed in limited numbers to showcase Jaguar's new innovative dual-overhead-camshaft and in-line six-cylinder engine with hemispherical—or "Hemi"—combustion chambers Chrysler's V-8s.
The new XK-120 was great for Americans, who were the only ones outside of Europe with plenty of money to spend on showy new vehicles after the war, controlling the world's economy. Clark Gable, the world-famous actor and automobile lover, was the first American to obtain an XK-120 on the West Coast in California, and he raved about his new Jaguar.
Other celebrities quickly followed, purchasing the XK-120. Ordinary upper-middle-class people purchased most XK-120s due to the car's attractive price of around $3,600. The Americans were astounded that Jaguar could offer such high quality in the XK-120 at such a low cost. A competing Ferrari with comparable performance costs a stunning $12,000 and above if one could even be found for sale.
Auto Vino rare and exotic car storage is proud to preserve and protect the heritage of British Motorcars in a museum-like setting to display beautiful examples of Art-on-Wheels for those who have a passion for rare, exotic, and fast cars, and for those too who don't.
The car presented here is privately owned and not for sale.
