1949 Jaguar XK120 Alloy Open Two-SeaterChassis no. 670181Engine no. W1265-8
1949 Jaguar XK120 Alloy Open Two-SeaterChassis no. 670181Engine no. W1265-8
3,442cc DOHC Inline 6-Cylinder Engine2 Tall-style SU Carburetors160bhp at 5,200rpm 4-Speed Manual TransmissionIndependent Front Suspension - Live Rear Axle4-Wheel Hydraulic Drum Brakes*One of only 184 left-hand-drive alloy-bodied Roadsters*Matching numbers*Recently completed restoration In the current family ownership since the 1960s*JDHT certificate on fileTHE JAGUAR XK120 ALLOY CARSFirst unveiled in London at the Earls Court Automobile Show in 1948 the XK-120 was a "stunner that left spectators agog," its flowing, functional body lines were said to have been personally designed by the hand of Mr. William Lyons, himself, General Manager of Jaguar Cars Ltd. The 3.4 liter 6-cylinder DOHC engine producing 160bhp was capable of propelling the car to over 120mph. Moreover, it could putter away in second gear from a standstill or pull without balking from 15mph in 4th gear. While characterized in the press as "a very fast, tractable touring car and not a racer despite its looks," the alloy-bodied XK-120 showed its teeth with great success in sports car events, notably the Production Car Race at Silverstone and during a speed test in Belgium clocked 126mph over a flying mile with stock windshield and side windows erected making it at the time the "fastest series production car in the world and yet displaying the flexibility and even the silkiness and smoothness of a mild-mannered saloon," so reported the April 14th, 1950 issue of the British enthusiast magazine Autocar.Jaguar thought they could probably sell 250 of the new cars, the total of the planned initial production run for the two-seater roadster. Delays in producing the steel body molds prompted the building of 240 hand-beaten aluminum bodied cars. This example is one of those few surviving alloy bodied cars. No two cars were alike. In fact the aluminum panels made for the for original run would not even fit on the later "mass produced" steel body 120's further distinguishing them as unique machines. To the discriminating Post-war Jaguar collector, there can be no more desirable possession than an alloy-bodied XK120 roadster. Only 242 were made, and many have been converted to competition use. A left-hand-drive example with rear fender spats and disc wheels is even more of a scarcity; there were only 184 of these very special cars, making the wonderful example offered here even more collectable.THE MOTORCAR OFFEREDProduced three-quarters of the way through the production run, chassis '181' was completed at the Jaguar works 69 years ago on March 17, 1950. Its recently accessed Heritage Certificate notes that the car was shipped to the US and supplied through Hoffman's New York agency for Jaguar. As new, it would have looked as it can be seen today with cream paintwork and a red and biscuit leather interior. Its first owner is not charted, but within a few years the car was resident in Maryland in 1955 and thanks to research by its current owner, the history picks up at this point being owned first by Robert Young in August that year, then Robert Brown two years later. It was purchased by his mother in 1961 from Brynmawr Sports Cars, in Pennsylvania.Used and enjoyed for many years, it was ultimately laid up for a similar period. Roughly 10 years ago having inherited the Jaguar, the son reports that he decided to honor the car and his family's ownership by restoring it from the ground up. That process has continued until the end of 2018, the car recently emerging from its rebuild. Along the way it was discovered that the front fenders had at some point been replaced with steel units, suggesting perhaps that it may have had some early racing and received damage to them, but regardless the decision was made to have correct ones copied and replaced in aluminum. A white hue was chosen for the bodywork and the interior matches the original. As it stands today, the car has a handful of miles on it and can be considered as 'running in'. The most covetable of its series, this freshly restored example offers a show or tour car, or an upgrade from the standard production cars that succeeded it.
View it on
Estimate
Time, Location
Auction House
1949 Jaguar XK120 Alloy Open Two-SeaterChassis no. 670181Engine no. W1265-8
3,442cc DOHC Inline 6-Cylinder Engine2 Tall-style SU Carburetors160bhp at 5,200rpm 4-Speed Manual TransmissionIndependent Front Suspension - Live Rear Axle4-Wheel Hydraulic Drum Brakes*One of only 184 left-hand-drive alloy-bodied Roadsters*Matching numbers*Recently completed restoration In the current family ownership since the 1960s*JDHT certificate on fileTHE JAGUAR XK120 ALLOY CARSFirst unveiled in London at the Earls Court Automobile Show in 1948 the XK-120 was a "stunner that left spectators agog," its flowing, functional body lines were said to have been personally designed by the hand of Mr. William Lyons, himself, General Manager of Jaguar Cars Ltd. The 3.4 liter 6-cylinder DOHC engine producing 160bhp was capable of propelling the car to over 120mph. Moreover, it could putter away in second gear from a standstill or pull without balking from 15mph in 4th gear. While characterized in the press as "a very fast, tractable touring car and not a racer despite its looks," the alloy-bodied XK-120 showed its teeth with great success in sports car events, notably the Production Car Race at Silverstone and during a speed test in Belgium clocked 126mph over a flying mile with stock windshield and side windows erected making it at the time the "fastest series production car in the world and yet displaying the flexibility and even the silkiness and smoothness of a mild-mannered saloon," so reported the April 14th, 1950 issue of the British enthusiast magazine Autocar.Jaguar thought they could probably sell 250 of the new cars, the total of the planned initial production run for the two-seater roadster. Delays in producing the steel body molds prompted the building of 240 hand-beaten aluminum bodied cars. This example is one of those few surviving alloy bodied cars. No two cars were alike. In fact the aluminum panels made for the for original run would not even fit on the later "mass produced" steel body 120's further distinguishing them as unique machines. To the discriminating Post-war Jaguar collector, there can be no more desirable possession than an alloy-bodied XK120 roadster. Only 242 were made, and many have been converted to competition use. A left-hand-drive example with rear fender spats and disc wheels is even more of a scarcity; there were only 184 of these very special cars, making the wonderful example offered here even more collectable.THE MOTORCAR OFFEREDProduced three-quarters of the way through the production run, chassis '181' was completed at the Jaguar works 69 years ago on March 17, 1950. Its recently accessed Heritage Certificate notes that the car was shipped to the US and supplied through Hoffman's New York agency for Jaguar. As new, it would have looked as it can be seen today with cream paintwork and a red and biscuit leather interior. Its first owner is not charted, but within a few years the car was resident in Maryland in 1955 and thanks to research by its current owner, the history picks up at this point being owned first by Robert Young in August that year, then Robert Brown two years later. It was purchased by his mother in 1961 from Brynmawr Sports Cars, in Pennsylvania.Used and enjoyed for many years, it was ultimately laid up for a similar period. Roughly 10 years ago having inherited the Jaguar, the son reports that he decided to honor the car and his family's ownership by restoring it from the ground up. That process has continued until the end of 2018, the car recently emerging from its rebuild. Along the way it was discovered that the front fenders had at some point been replaced with steel units, suggesting perhaps that it may have had some early racing and received damage to them, but regardless the decision was made to have correct ones copied and replaced in aluminum. A white hue was chosen for the bodywork and the interior matches the original. As it stands today, the car has a handful of miles on it and can be considered as 'running in'. The most covetable of its series, this freshly restored example offers a show or tour car, or an upgrade from the standard production cars that succeeded it.
Estimate
Time, Location
Auction House
Similar Items
