The Jaguar XK120 made its debut at the Earle’s Court Motor Show in London in 1948 creating nothing short of a sensation in the automotive world. Originally conceived as a low-volume car rather than a serious production vehicle, it was destined to become a formidable offering and one of the most celebrated sports cars of all-time. A total of 12,055 XK120’s were produced from 1948-1954 including 7,374 steel-bodied roadsters. The elegant, curvaceous styling was the work of Sir William Lyons who took his inspiration from Touring’s Mille Miglia BMW 328. The name XK120 resulted from the 120mph top speed attained by prototypes. Power is supplied by a 160hp 3.4-litre DOHC in-line 6-cylinder engine that continued to serve Jaguar for decades to come.
According to the Jaguar/Daimler Heritage Trust Certificate this Battleship Gray XK120 Open Two-Seater (OTS) with a red leather interior was manufactured on September 27, 1950 and delivered to Hoffman Motors in New York City on January 10, 1951.
This car has undergone a complete restoration and made its post-restoration debut when it was invited to the very prestigious Amelia Concours d’Elegance at Amelia Island, Florida and shown at the event on March 3, 2024. The car won the coveted Gil Nickel/Far Niente Award for restoration excellence. This is without question an award-winning, Concours-quality car, perfect for the discriminating collector.
The car is numbers-matching with the engine block, chassis number, body number and gearbox number matching the numbers on the certificate. The cylinder head is not stamped with a number, but that was not uncommon for the early XK120s. It is correct, with the appropriate “studless” camshaft covers and bears the correct markings.
The original color for the car was Birch Gray with a Red and Biscuit interior. This combination does not suit the car well and it was opted to paint the car in Jaguar Battleship Gray, offered as an original color, with a red interior. This color combination is stunning and ideally suits the beautiful flowing lines of the body.
The car has undergone a complete frame-off, nut-and-bolt restoration. The details of the painstaking 4-year restoration are too numerous to list, but the highlights are summarized here. Nearly every nut and bolt has been refurbished, plated in zinc and black chromated to match the original black oxide finish but with the added benefit of rustproofing. The chassis was stripped, rustproofed and repainted in the original semi-gloss black. The body was completely removed, stripped, repaired and painstakingly reassembled with perfect shut lines and panel alignment before painting in period-correct Jaguar Battleship Grey. The interior was completely finished in Connolly Leather, Wilton Wool, reproduction Rexine material all in Jaguar Red and fitted as original. All chrome plating is new, including chrome plated seat frames and hoodsticks for the convertible top (unique to early cars).
The engine has been completely rebuilt with new pistons, sleeves, bearings, timing chains and a host of other new parts. The original troublesome main journal bolts with the retaining tabs that are prone to breakage have been replaced with ARP studs. Similarly, the connecting rod bolts with their equally troublesome split pins have been replaced with ARP bolts. The original main bolts and rod bolts were retained and can be included if the new owner desires. The crankshaft and flywheel are the rare early 6-bolt type and are original. The original rear seal consists of a scroll milled into the rear of the crankshaft that pumps oil away from the crankshaft end while running and were prone to very minor leaks. Because fitting a modern seal would require irreversible milling of the crankshaft, it was decided to leave the original crankshaft intact. As a result, the car will leak a few drops of oil from the rear scroll seal after driving.
The cylinder head has been completely rebuilt with new valves, valve guides, valve seats and camshaft bearings. The radiator has been completely rebuilt, retaining the original top and bottom tanks and a new correct honeycomb core. The water pump has new bushings and seals. The generator has new bushings and brushes and the original starter has new bearings and brushes. New engine mounts and transmission mounts are fitted,
The distributor has new bearings. The carburetors have been completely rebuilt, with new seals, gaskets, shafts and shaft bushings. New, correct porcelain-coated exhaust manifolds are fitted, along with a new, correct exhaust system complete with the side-exit chrome-tipped exhaust pipe correct for early XK120s.
The gearbox has new input and output shaft bearings, the driveshaft has new universal joints and the differential has new bearings and seals. New wheel bearings are fitted to each wheel.
The Front shock absorbers are new and the rear shock absorbers have been rebuilt. The upper and lower ball joints were replaced and new bushings were fitted.
New correct brake components are on all wheels with a new correct master cylinder and new brake lines. All wheel bearings are new. Tires are new Coker Classic bias ply tires.
The convertible top is the correct “short” top for early XK120s and the tonneau cover is likewise new and correct. The side curtains have been refurbished.
The electrical system has been completely restored with a correct wiring harness, genuine Lucas PF770 Tri-bar headlights and correct sidemarkers and taillights. The original horns have been rebuilt.
The toolkit is complete and contains all of the correct tools including the rare early folding Stevenson jack. The original Service Manual, a quality reproduction Handbook and a copy of Viart's "Jaguar XK120 Explored" are also included.
Original mileage is unknown. The odometer stated just over 10,000 miles prior to restoration, but it is unknown if that is actual mileage. The speedometer and odometer have since been rebuilt and the odometer set to the mileage prior to restoration.
The car comes with two reproduction 6V original-style batteries that are faithful reproductions of the original Lucas batteries. One of these batteries has developed a bad cell. The batteries will still start the car, and can be used to show the car when originality matters. However a much more reliable 12V Odyssey battery that fits within one of the battery boxes is also included.
Also included is the original radiator cap. However the cap no longer holds the full 4psi of pressure, though it is still suitable for shows where originality matters. A more modern radiator cap that holds pressure is also included.
Also included is the Gil Nickel/Far Niente trophy and ribbon along with memorabilia from The Amelia Concours D'Elegance.
The car has been painstakingly restored to original factory standards in every way possible. Extensive research went into ensuring that every detail is correct to the original specifications. Astute Jaguar aficionados will note that this is a very early XK120 that has some unique features compared to later models, including chrome plated seat frames, hoodsticks, trunk and hood prop rods; exhaust that exits to the side of the driver's side rear wheel with a chrome plated tip; satin black paint under the hood, on the firewall and under the trunk lid; chrome plated side marker and tail light housings; carpet in the trunk versus the later use of Hardura; and other details that set the early cars apart. All off these features have been faithfully restored.
The only thing that does not work on the car is the clock, though one could certainly argue that a non-working clock is true to original specifications, since these clocks never worked for very long. The clock was refurbished and it worked for a short while - just like original.
As the pictures and the trophy demonstrate, this is truly a Concours-quality award-winning car. It would be the perfect addition to a collection of classic, beautifully restored cars; or for someone who would like to continue to show the car and win awards; or as a driver if the new owner wishes. If the car does not sell here, it will likely go to the Broad Arrow auction at Monterey in August. However, I would like to offer the car without the expensive auction premiums to the buyer and the expensive entry costs for me. This is a great opportunity for someone to acquire a Concours car at a discount to what the car would likely bring at a prestigious auction.
Many more photos are available upon request.
Please do not hesitate to ask me any questions.
spokeshave123@gmail.com
I reserve the right to end this listing at any time.