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Jaguar XK120
The Jaguar XK120 is a sports car manufactured by Jaguar between 1948 and 1954. It was Jaguar's first sports car since SS 100 production ended in 1939. The XK120 was launched in open two-seater or (US) roadster form at the 1948 London Motor Show as a testbed and show car for the new Jaguar XK engine designed by Jaguar Chief Engineer William Heynes. The sports car caused a sensation, which persuaded Jaguar founder and Chairman William Lyons to put it into production.
The fastest production car in the world in its time, it would go on to be developed into the XK140 and XK150 models.
Beginning in 1948, the first 242 cars were wood-framed open 2-seater bodies with aluminium panels. Production switched to the 1cwt or 112 lb (51 kg) heavier all-steel in early 1950. The "120" in the name referred to the aluminium car's 120 miles per hour (190 km/h) top speed (faster with the windscreen removed), which made it the world's fastest production car at the time of its launch. In 1949 the first production car, chassis number 670003, was delivered to Clark Gable.
The XK120 was ultimately available in three body styles, all two-seaters and available either as Left (LHD) or Right Hand Drive (RHD): an open 2-seater described in the US market as a roadster (OTS); a fixed head coupé (FHC) from 1951; and a drophead coupé (DHC) from 1953. Certain Special Equipment roadster and fixed head coupe cars were produced were sold between 1948 and 1949 as an early production build for enthusiasts, denoted by an 'S' preceding the chassis number.[citation needed]
A version with a smaller engine (2-litre 4-cylinder) designated the XK100 and intended for the UK market was cancelled prior to production.
On 30 May 1949, on the empty Ostend-Jabbeke motorway in Belgium, a prototype XK120 timed by the officials of the Royal Automobile Club of Belgium achieved an average of runs in opposing directions of 132.6 mph (213.4 km/h) with the windscreen replaced by just one small aero screen and a catalogued alternative top gear ratio, and 135 mph (217 km/h) with a passenger-side tonneau cover in place. In 1950 and 1951, at Autodrome de Linas-Montlhéry, a banked oval track in France, open XK120s averaged over 100 mph (160 km/h) for 24 hours and over 130 mph (210 km/h) for an hour. In 1952 a fixed-head coupé took numerous world records for speed and distance when it averaged 100 mph for a week.
XK120s were also highly successful in racing and rallying.
In 2016, Bonhams sold a matching numbers left-hand-drive alloy-bodied roadster – one of only 184 – for $396,000 (£302,566). This marks the highest price achieved for an XK120 at auction thus far.
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Jaguar XK120
The Jaguar XK120 is a sports car manufactured by Jaguar between 1948 and 1954. It was Jaguar's first sports car since SS 100 production ended in 1939. The XK120 was launched in open two-seater or (US) roadster form at the 1948 London Motor Show as a testbed and show car for the new Jaguar XK engine designed by Jaguar Chief Engineer William Heynes. The sports car caused a sensation, which persuaded Jaguar founder and Chairman William Lyons to put it into production.
The fastest production car in the world in its time, it would go on to be developed into the XK140 and XK150 models.
Beginning in 1948, the first 242 cars were wood-framed open 2-seater bodies with aluminium panels. Production switched to the 1cwt or 112 lb (51 kg) heavier all-steel in early 1950. The "120" in the name referred to the aluminium car's 120 miles per hour (190 km/h) top speed (faster with the windscreen removed), which made it the world's fastest production car at the time of its launch. In 1949 the first production car, chassis number 670003, was delivered to Clark Gable.
The XK120 was ultimately available in three body styles, all two-seaters and available either as Left (LHD) or Right Hand Drive (RHD): an open 2-seater described in the US market as a roadster (OTS); a fixed head coupé (FHC) from 1951; and a drophead coupé (DHC) from 1953. Certain Special Equipment roadster and fixed head coupe cars were produced were sold between 1948 and 1949 as an early production build for enthusiasts, denoted by an 'S' preceding the chassis number.[citation needed]
A version with a smaller engine (2-litre 4-cylinder) designated the XK100 and intended for the UK market was cancelled prior to production.
On 30 May 1949, on the empty Ostend-Jabbeke motorway in Belgium, a prototype XK120 timed by the officials of the Royal Automobile Club of Belgium achieved an average of runs in opposing directions of 132.6 mph (213.4 km/h) with the windscreen replaced by just one small aero screen and a catalogued alternative top gear ratio, and 135 mph (217 km/h) with a passenger-side tonneau cover in place. In 1950 and 1951, at Autodrome de Linas-Montlhéry, a banked oval track in France, open XK120s averaged over 100 mph (160 km/h) for 24 hours and over 130 mph (210 km/h) for an hour. In 1952 a fixed-head coupé took numerous world records for speed and distance when it averaged 100 mph for a week.
XK120s were also highly successful in racing and rallying.
In 2016, Bonhams sold a matching numbers left-hand-drive alloy-bodied roadster – one of only 184 – for $396,000 (£302,566). This marks the highest price achieved for an XK120 at auction thus far.