1949-1954 Jaguar XK 120 Alloy Roadster

The Jaguar XK 120 entered into production in 1949, and was instantly in high demand. The first 244 XK 120s—including the car on offer here—were clad entirely in aluminum. In period, these represented the best of the best, with their advantageous power-to-weight ratio courtesy of the alloy body and the highly tunable, dual-overhead-cam XK engine. This engine was used in production Jaguarsin successive stages of development through 1987.

Like many of its siblings, this XK 120 was first shipped to the United States’ West Coast, where it was campaigned in a number of amateur sports car races at Monterey and Santa Barbara. It then served for a time as a dirt-track racer, fitted with an American V8 engine when its original gave out. In poor condition, it returned to England for a full restoration by John May of XK Development at Homesdown Farms, Fiddington.

The car has been prepared according to the Historic Sports Car Club rules, with respect to the spirit of 1950s-era racing. The drum brakes have been kept, as has the steering box (which has been displaced to the right side). Even the lever-arm shocks have been kept at the rear. The engine has been tuned with specific camshafts, 9:1 compression ratio, a C-type head, and SU HD8 carbs, and the Moss gearbox is of the close-ratio type.

Finished in pearl grey with red and biscuit interior and two aero screens, this Jaguar wears red wire wheels and is described as being in very good working condition. It is eligible for many historic events, including the Mille Miglia, Tour de France, and Le Mans Classic.