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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 Dan Vaughan

Drophead Coupe

The XK 120 debut in the fall of 1948 was nothing less than a sensation. It was sleek, beautiful, and strikingly modern. The XK motor was engineered by Harry Westlake. It was the world's first high-volume twin-cam engine and would prove remarkably reliable and long-lived. These sports cars came in three body styles, of which this example is the drop head coupe (DHC), or a convertible to most Americans.

Drophead Coupe

When the sedan designed around Jaguar's new XK engine wasn't finished in time, the British automaker showcased the powerplant in a prototype roadster for the 1948 Earls Court Motor Show in London. The company anticipated producing perhaps 120 of the car but ended up selling 12,000 over the course of several years.

This blue, 1954 XK120 open two-seater (OTS) has been maintained in original condition with only 21,000 miles on the odometer. It carries its original bill of sale, owner's manual, tool kit, spare tire and jack, and even specially fitted Jaguar luggage. The interior is done in a rare two-tone leather.

Drophead Coupe
Chassis number: F31708S

The XK engine would become the mainstay of all future Jaguar products over the next six decades. It would carry Jaguar to five Le Mans 24 Hour victories between 1951 and 1957.

This particular car is an XK 120 SE model, fitted with C-Type cylinder heads. It has had an extensive ground-up, nut-and-bolt professional restoration and the engine has been upgraded beyond original specifications, now producing an estimated 300 horsepower. It is a matching numbers example, finished in Signal Red with a beige leather interior, rides on wire wheels, has wide whitewall tires, and there are dual exhausts.

In 2009, this XK 120SE Roadster was offered for sale at the Automobiles of Arizona auction presented by RM Auctions in Scottsdale, Arizona. The lot was estimated to sell for $80,000-$100,000 and offered without reserve. As bidding came to a close, the lot had been sold for $84,700, including the buyer's premium.

by Dan Vaughan

Sport Roadster

Most of the 240 alloy-bodied XK120s were exported, providing the funds needed for Jaguar to forge ahead with production of over 7,500 steel-bodied XK120s. This late production XK120M (or SE for Special Equipment) was purchased new by the current owner's father. Still in all-original condition, it has run just 8,200 miles.

Drophead Coupe

This car is powered by a 3.5 liter, 168 horsepower, inline six-cylinder engine. The XK series was produced until 1970 when Jaguar introduced a much larger engine.

The Drop-Head Coupe was produced from the spring of 1953 thru the fall of 1954, with a total of 1600 units produced, of those, 1200 headed to the US.

This car is equipped with an experimental cold air induction system, delivering cold air to the carburetor for added HP.

HardTop Coupe
Chassis number: S669195
Engine number: F3215-8S

This completely restored XK 120 was the last fixed-head coupe off the production line back in July, 1954. Trimmed in the rare Suede Green inside and out, there is no finer example of an FHC (fixed-head coupe). Powered by the revolutionary double overhead cam 3.4-liter engine, this car comes with the special equipment engine package which includes new pistons and raised compression.

by Jaguar

HardTop Coupe
Chassis number: 681463
Engine number: F2875-8

Dispatched by Jaguar works to New York dealer/distributor Max Hoffman on April 27, 1954, this car has covered only 55,000 miles in its half-century of existence. The subject of a bolt-by-bolt restoration that was finished around 2003 by Jaguar marque specialists Black horse Motors in Texas, it has covered only 500 miles since that time.

A Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust certificate, confirms the car's originality, right down to its body number. Its original tool roll, jack and spare tire may be seen in the trunk, and the only change effected from original during the entire meticulous restoration was the conversion of battery equipment from two 6-volts in series to a single, modern 12-volt unit.

It is finished in an authentic shade of pale-green metallic, the leather seats having been restored in a complementary hue. The walnut veneer dashboard and door capping have been refinished to a factory-new appearance, and the green carpeting matches the seats. All chrome plating has been redone to a very high standard, door fit is superb, and the car's engine and engine compartment are presentable to concours-level excellent.

In the eyes of some Jaguar collectors and enthusiasts, the XK120 Fixed Head Coupe is the most elegant of all the 120-, 140- and 150-series cars, as the permanent roof lends a perfectly executed accent to the 120's already stunning design.

by Gooding & Company

by Jaguar

Drophead Coupe
Chassis number: S 674498
Engine number: F 1410-8S

This 1954 Jaguar XK 120SE Roadster was offered for sale at the 2007 RM Auctions held in Amelia Island, Florida, where it was estimated to sell between $80,000 - $100,000. The car is powered by a 3442 cc twin overhead camshaft inline six-cylinder engine capable of producing 180 horsepower. There is a four-speed manual gearbox and four-wheel drum brakes.

The 'SE' in XK 120SE represented 'Special Equipment' which included wire wheels, dual exhaust and a C-Type cylinder head. The Jaguar C-Type had been Jaguars racing vehicle that had accounted for seven overall victories, including LeMans. With these improvements, the XK 120SE saw an increase in horsepower by 20, to 180.

This 1954 Jaguar XK 120SE was purchased new by Charles E. Gifford of Burbank, California in January of 1954. Its next owner was Jon Canepa Jr. of Saratoga, California, who had a restoration performed on the vehicle, which lasted from 1969 through 1971. It was then shown at the 1972 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance where it was awarded an impressive Second in Class.

In 1975, Walter hill purchased the car for his collection. It was shown at the AACA South Florida Regional meet in 1974, where it was awarded Best in Show. The car was then stored in a climate-controlled environment before being sold in 2005 to its next owner. The vehicle's owner then had the car properly checked and serviced, which included a rebuild of the instruments, engine, brakes, and cooling system. The new engine has less than 20 miles when it rolled across RM's auction block. The car proved to be popular, as the selling price escalated quickly. The lot was sold for $90,720.

by Dan Vaughan

Drophead Coupe

This 1954 Jaguar is equipped with the factory SE performance package which includes increased power and dual exhaust allowing it to reach 140 MPH and stiffer suspension and chrome wire wheels. It was originally sold in New Mexico and has less than 20,000 miles. It has been repainted, and the interior redone.

Drophead Coupe
Chassis number: S674682

This 1954 Jaguar XK120SE Roadster has traveled 24,700 miles since new, and has been in the care of one owner its entire life. In 2007 it was brought to the Bonhams Auction, An Important Sale of Collectors' Motorcars and Automobilia, held at the Quail Lodge Resort & Golf Club in Carmel, California. The lot was sold for $75,000 plus premiums and taxes.

by Dan Vaughan

Drophead Coupe
Chassis number: F26948SS675341

In 1954 Jaguar XK120 SE Roadster was brought to the Monterey Sports & Classic Car Auction presented by RM Auctions, where it had an estimated value of $90,000 - $110,000. Bidding would soon surpass those estimates before settling at $121,000 including the buyer's premium. This lot was offered without reserve.

This vehicle is an 'SE' model, meaning Special Equipment, which came equipped with chrome wire wheels, an upgraded suspension, dual exhaust pipes, and a high-performance engine and carburetor. It has been treated to a nut & bolt restoration to period-correct specifications. It is finished in factory-correct Jaguar Red and the interior is black leather.

Other options outfitted by the factory are ignition keys, tool roll, spare jack, spare tire, and manuals.

This car has been properly stored, maintained, and cared for during its life. This was evident by the bidding and the desire for such an attractive automobile.

by Dan Vaughan

HardTop Coupe

Jaguar has long enjoyed a storied history of dashing styling, high performance and memorable racing victories. The venerable British brand was founded by Sir William Lyons and William Walmsley, two-wheel enthusiasts, actually, as the Swallow Sidecar Company in 1922. In 1935 they began building SS Jaguar cars. Fame and fortune came calling after World War II with a series of sexy sports cars and luxurious saloons.

The XK120 roadster was shown at the 1948 London Motor Show as a concept to showcase the new XK engine. It was named for its reported top speed of 120 miles per hour, making it the fastest production car in the world, and it was a sensation. The DOHC 3.4L six-cylinder engine with twin side-draft carburetors made 160 horsepower. It had independent torsion bar front suspension, semi-elliptic rear leaf springs, and a telescopically adjustable steering column.

The Fixed Head Coupe debuted in 1951 at the Geneva Motor Show. When production ended in 1954, 2,678 coupes had been built. The elegant burled walnut, Wilton carpeting and Connelly leather is patterned after Jaguar's larger sedans. To prove its performance and durability credibility, a FHC was once driven for seven continuous days at 100 miles per hour on the Montlhery Circuit near Paris. It covered almost 17,000 miles without incident.

The first owner bought this car for $3,029 plus a now-quaint $5.30 license fee. The current owner bought it in 2004 and spent seven years faithfully restoring it with the help from friends and professional shops alike.

Sport Roadster

The Jaguar XK120 was launched in open two-seater roadster form at the 1948 London Motor Show. It heralded a huge change in fortunes for the postwar Jaguar Company; sales in the United States soon brought in much-needed cash.

This Jaguar XK120 was imported by Max Hoffman at the beginning of 1954 and was sold to Bernard Yurt, a U.S. Air Force sergeant from Boston who later founded the New England XK Association. It was later renamed the Jaguar Association of New England and today remains one of the largest and most active Jaguar clubs in North America.

Mr. Yurt purchased the car for $3,395, and it remained with Mr. Yurt for his entire life. Mr. Yurt took fastidious care of his XK120 driving it only on special occasions and displaying it occasionally at regional car shows. When the current owner bought the car from Mr. Yurt's family in 2014, it had just 54,000 miles on the odometer. It has never been damaged, modified, or restored.

This car is powered by a 3.4-liter six-cylinder engine developing 160 horsepower coupled to a Moss gearbox. It retains its original tan interior, Dove Grey exterior paint, engine, and chassis. It has never been restored, damaged or modified and is all original. The current owners drove it in the 2015 Mille Miglia.

Sport Convertible

Jaguar envisioned the new XK120 as a hand-built specialty car of just 200 alloy-bodied, ash-framed units. After its debut at the 1948 London Motor Show, demand was so high that the XK120 became a production vehicle. The '120' was intended to represent the top speed, however, factory tests clocked the car at 132 mph. In 1953 Jaguar introduced the SE 'Special Equipment' model in the UK and badged it as an 'M' version in the United States. The SE/M produced 180 horsepower with the addition of high-lift camshafts, stiffer valve springs, SU H8 carburetors, and dual exhaust.

The current caretaker has owned this car since 1967; he was 16 at the time and acquired it from a used car dealer in Philadelphia. He drove it to high school and slept in the car at the Formula 1 race at Watkins Glen. The XK120M went with him to college, where it was involved in an accident then was later restored. The car is fitted with the available H8 SU Carbs used in the C-Type Jaguars.

Sport Roadster

This 1954 Jaguar XK 120 M Roadster was ordered new by Fred Dagavar on May 5, 1954. Fred was a New York City-based journeyman racer who raced on the East coast dating back to the 1930s. It was his daily driver. In 1955 he drove it, with his co-driver Al Garz, from Pelham, NY, to Sebring and raced it, finishing 46th. It was then driven home. It is a AAA Registered Race Car.

The car is powered by a 3.4-liter six, cylinder engine developing 280 horsepower.

The current and second owner purchased it as a tired basket case in 1972 and had it restored mechanically. It was driven regularly until an unfortunate altercation with a deer in 2016. It received a new paint job and was again given a mechanical update. It was and will always be a regularly driven car.

Drophead Coupe

This 1954 Jaguar XK 120 SE was first purchased by F.J. Hake in April of 1954. It is an open two-seater Jaguar with left-hand-drive and a manual transmission. It was purchased by Mark Outopal, during his college years in 1963. Mr. Outopal drove the car until he had his first child in 1973. He then stored the car in his garage until 2016, when it was sold to the current owner.

HardTop Coupe

First available only as an Open Top Roadster, Jaguar began offering the XK120 as a closed coupe known as the Fixed Head Coupe (FHC) in 1951. The FHC provided a closed cabin for protection during inclement weather. The model also included roll-up windows, cockpit trim, a heater and an instrument panel that surrounded the dials with burl walnut. Of the 12,045 XK120s built from 1948 until 1954, only 2,672 were coupes.

When rescued, this 'barn find' showed 40,000 miles on the odometer. It was complete but suffered poorly repaired damage to the left front of the vehicle which probably led to its long-term storage. The car underwent a body-off restoration in 2016 that involved stripping all components to bare metal and replacing damaged areas. Mechanical components were restored to original specifications and original hardware was used except where safety was a consideration. Every nut and bolt was stripped, inspected and re-plated cadmium or black oxide.

Sport Roadster

The Jaguar XK 120 was launched in roadster form in 1948 at the London Motor Show as a testbed and show car for the new Jaguar XK engine designed by Chief Engineer William Heynes. The sports car caused a sensation, which persuaded Jaguar founder and Chairman William Lyons to put it into production. It was Jaguar's first sports car since SS 100 production ended in 1939.

Presented in 1948 as a wood-frame open 2-seat body with aluminum panels that switched to all-steel in early 1950, the '120' in the name referred to the car's 120 mph top speed, which made it the world's fastest production car at the time of its launch. The XK 120 has a 3.4 liter DOHC straight-6 engine producing 180 hp.

Delivered to its first owner in Los Angeles, California in 1954, this XK 120 retains its original engine, chassis, and body with only minor refreshing.

Sport Roadster
Chassis number: S 675634
Engine number: F 3170–8S

This Jaguar XK 120 SE open two-seater roadster was completed on May 21st, 1954. It was built for the North American market and fitted with left-hand-drive configuration. It wore a red exterior over a black interior with a black soft top. It was dispatched to distributor Hornburg of Los Angeles, California, on June 11th, 1954. The early ownership history is not known; by the 1990s, it was owned by Michael Stott of Ho-ho-Kus, New Jersey. While in Mr. Stott's care, it was serviced at Donovan Jaguar Service.

At some point, the car was given a restoration. It has Firestone whitewall tires mounted on chrome knock-off wire wheels. The interior is trimmed in tan leather featuring a four-spoke Moto Lita wood-rimmed steering wheel. There is a full-size spare, a tan tonneau cover, and a Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust certificate.

by Dan Vaughan

HardTop Coupe
Chassis number: 681179
Engine number: W84228

This 1954 Jaguar XK120 is 1 of 2,672 Fixed Head coupes produced from 1951 to 1954. It is a factory left-hand drive U.S. Specification car powered by a matching number 3.4-liter DOHC inline 6-cylinder engine with twin SU side-draft carburetors. There is a four-speed manual gearbox, Lucas electrical system, Smiths instrumentation, rear fender skirts, 16-inch painted steel wheels with trim rings and center caps, Bias-ply 6.00-16 Blackwall tires, and a walnut burl dashboard. There is a Suede green paint scheme and green leather upholstery.

by Dan Vaughan

The Jaguar XK120 was designed to be a prestigious vehicle and produced in low numbers. The designation '120' represented the vehicle's top speed of 120 miles-per-hour. At the time, it was the fastest production car in the world.

The British automotive industry was greatly influenced by World War II. Many manufacturers went out of business due to the lack of funds, fuel and supply shortages, or their factories had been destroyed during the war. In order to stay in business, a solid production line was required that could compete with its class of vehicles. William Lyons, the owner of Jaguar, did so by creating a new class - one that was faster, more reliable, stylish, and cheaper than any other vehicle on the market.

To gain industry recognition, Lyons knew that he needed a show car that was revolutionary and bold. Lyons handled the styling while his chief engineer, William Heynes, was tasked with designing the mechanical components. When the vehicle was displayed at Earls Court, the reaction was overwhelming. Originally, Lyons planned to make between 100 and 200 examples. After the public reaction to the car and to keep up with demand, he decided to change the body from hand-formed aluminum to all-steel construction.

The body of the car was reminiscent of the 'French Curves' produced by manufacturers such as Bugatti and Delahaye of the early 1930's and 1940's. They were created in three different body styles, roadster, fixed head, and drop head (convertible).

The vehicle was powered by a 160 horsepower, 3.4 liter, inline-six-cylinder engine. Peak horsepower was achieved at 5000 RPM. The 120-mph was the promised speed, the top speed of the vehicle was around 126-132 mph depending on the trim of the vehicle.

The vehicle was designed as a touring car. However, many of the vehicles were raced. Their main weaknesses were their drum brakes which wore quickly, and their steering which was heavy and less responsive when compared to other purpose-built racing vehicles.

In 1951, Jaguar entered the grueling 24-hour of Le Mans endurance race. Three XK120C, the 'C' representing 'competition', was entered. One of the three entrants won the event.

In 1952, an XK120 was driven continuously for seven days and nights around a track located in Montlhery, France. After more than 16,000 miles in one week, the vehicle once again proved its endurance capabilities.

In 1954 production ceased. Over 12,000 examples were produced.

by Dan Vaughan