1954 Jaguar XK-120

Sir William Lyons and the team at Browns Lane did not anticipate the phenomenal success of the Jaguar XK120, whose post-war focus was the MKVII Saloon. Both the Saloon's chassis and XK engine neared completion by 1948, which prompted Lyons to contemplate a sports car powered by the new DOHC unit. The decision was made to design and build an XK-powered two-seater sports car in time for display at the 1948 Earls Court Motor Show, meaning the team had just six weeks to complete the impossible task.

The plan was, depending on public reaction, to hand-build several hundred Roadsters as required. The public's approval was unexpected, prompting a complete rethink of the entire project. Production would span five years and be manufactured in three different body styles (originally only available as a roadster), including a Roadster, Fixed Head Coupe (introduced for the 1952 model year), and Drophead Coupe Introduced in 1953). The combined production volumes reached 12,055.

The car on display at the Earls Court Show was a Bronze show car. The second car completed was used to confirm the model's top speed potential to the press (chassis number 670002). It was driven to its maximum speed on the Jabbeke straight, Belgium, in May 1949, achieving 126.448mph over the flying mile with hood and side screens erected. It achieved 132.596 mph in stripped form.

The XK120 combined elegant styling with a rugged chassis and embodied everything great in a sports car. The dual overhead cam 'XK' six-cylinder engine was conceived during the war by William Lyons and his talented engineers led by William Heynes. Engine designer Harry Weslake also contributed to the effort, who took both Lyons' and Heynes' designs and honed their creation to perfection. Although the dual overhead cam engines were not a new idea, their use in a series-production sports car was a rarity. The engine had large main bearings and hemispherical combustion chambers, which provided durability, maximum output, and reasonable fuel economy.

The XK 120 had an independent front suspension sprung by torsion bars, with a Salisbury limited-slip live rear axle riding on leaf springs outback. Large four-wheel drum brakes provided adequate stopping power, though prone to fading when pushed too hard. The XK twin-cam engine offered 160 horsepower in standard form, and upwards of 210 horsepower in later models.

On the track, Jaguar dominated the 24 Hours of Le Mans starting in 1951 when Peter Walker and Peter Whitehead piloted their racing-prepped XK120C to victory.

The very first customer-delivered XK 120 went to Clark Gable, a man known for his impeccable taste in beautiful cars.

by Daniel Vaughan | Sep 2019