Jaguar XK 120 Alloy Roadster, 1949
Jaguar XK XK120
Jaguar XK XK120•
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Chassis No.: 670015
Engine No.: W 1012-8
Body No.: F 1020
Location: Monte Carlo, Monaco
€280,000 - €320,000 EUR | Not Sold
- The 15th LHD XK120 built; one of 240 alloy-bodied examples
- Recently restored to original specifications
- An excellent vehicle for vintage tours or rallies
Addendum
Please note the UK number plate and registration for JRW II7 is not included with the car.
160 bhp, 3,442 cc DOHC inline six-cylinder engine with twin SU H6 carburettors, four-speed manual transmission, independent front and live rear axles with semi-elliptic spring rear suspension, and four-wheel drum brakes. Wheelbase: 2,591 mm
160 hp, 3,442 cc inline six-cylinder engine, twin overhead camshafts, twin SU H6 carburettors, four-speed manual transmission, independent front suspension, rigid rear axle with semi-elliptic springs, and drum brakes on all four wheels. Wheelbase: 2,591 mm.
The 1948 Earl’s Court Motor Show was a defining moment for Jaguar. The show witnessed the debut of its first sports car since World War II, and it was instantly clear to anyone who saw the new XK120 that Jaguar had a hit on its hands. Jaguar stirred up even more interest in the car when an XK120 reached a speed of 126 mph during a speed run on a Belgian highway. The same top-speed run was performed once more after removing the car’s windshield, and it reached an even more astonishing top speed of 132 mph, making it the fastest sports car the world had ever seen.
Jaguar had originally intended for the XK120 to be a limited-production automobile and planned to body the cars in aluminium. However, as consumer interest exploded after its premiere at Earl’s Court, Jaguar bodied only the first 240 cars in alloy and then shifted production to steel, which was more readily available in post-war Europe. These alloy examples have proven to be highly prized by collectors, as they represent the earliest and purest form of William Lyons’s brilliant creation.
The car presented today, bearing chassis number 670015, is a very early XK120, and it is just the 15th example built in left-hand drive. It was manufactured on 18 October 1949 and left the factory on 11 November, bound for Max Hoffman’s legendary dealership in New York City. It was finished in Pastel Blue and registered in the UK to a Lt. Commander W.H. Willson, of Kent, before being sent to Max Hoffman’s dealership in New York City, according to its Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust Certificate. Allegedly, the XK120 then travelled with Willson to his next posting in Canada, before passing through the hands of owners in New York and a collector of XK-series Jaguars living in California, who maintained the car in largely original condition for over 40 years.
It was then exported to France in 2008, where it was fully restored and refinished in Old English White over a burgundy leather interior. It is currently with its second European owner and has recently been refreshed, with the intention of returning it to its correct factory specification while retaining the identical colour combination. It received a fresh repaint in Old English White and was refitted with its proper tall-neck twin SU carburettors, drum brakes, wheel spats, bucket seats, and a black soft top, making all its mechanical components factory-correct in every regard.
The early alloy-bodied cars are undoubtedly the most desirable XK120 models, and they have been highly prized by motoring enthusiasts ever since they left the factory. The XK120 spawned a lovely series of sports cars, and to own one of the earliest examples of the fabled XK line is to experience the platform in its purest iteration. To this day, XK120s are still well regarded as touring cars, and they are frequent sights at events like the Mille Miglia and Colorado 1000. With a recent full restoration and known history from new, this example is surely one of the best.
The 1948 London Motor Show was a crucial moment for Jaguar. It witnessed the presentation of its first new model since the Second World War, and everyone who saw the XK120 on the Jaguar stand immediately understood that the marque had a winner on its hands. Jaguar attracted even more interest when an XK120 reached a speed of 202 km/h on a Belgian highway. The performance was repeated after removing the windscreen, this time reaching the even more astonishing speed of 212 km/h, making it the fastest sports car in the world.
Jaguar had initially intended the XK120 to be a limited-production car and planned an aluminium body. But customer orders soared after the car was unveiled in London, so after producing 240 alloy-bodied examples, Jaguar switched to steel, which was much easier to source in post-war Europe. These alloy examples are now especially prized by collectors, as they represent the earliest and purest form of William Lyons’s brilliant creation.
The car offered today, chassis number 670015, is one of the earliest XK120s—in fact, the 15th left-hand-drive example. It left the workshops on 18 October 1949 and departed the factory on 11 November, bound for the legendary importer Max Hoffman in New York. Finished in Pastel Blue, it was registered in Great Britain before heading to the United States, in the name of Lt. Commander W.H. Willson, who lived in Kent, according to the Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust Certificate.
It seems that it then travelled with Willson to his next posting in Canada, before passing through the hands of owners based in New York and a collector of XK Jaguars living in Canada, who preserved the car in its original condition for over 40 years.
It was then exported to France in 2008, where it underwent a full restoration with Old English White paintwork and a burgundy leather interior. It is now with its second European owner and has recently been refreshed, with the aim of returning it to its correct factory specifications while retaining the same colour combination. Newly painted in Old English White, it was fitted with the correct twin tall-neck SU carburettors, drum brakes, rear wheel spats, bucket seats, and a black soft top, ensuring that its mechanical components are entirely true to the car’s original factory equipment.
The early alloy-bodied versions are undoubtedly the most desirable XK120s, and they have been highly regarded by motoring enthusiasts since the moment they left the factory. The Jaguar XK120 gave rise to an entire generation of sports cars, and owning one of the earliest examples of the fabled XK line offers the experience of the car in its purest form. To this day, XK120s are still considered excellent touring cars, and they regularly appear at events such as the Mille Miglia and Colorado 1000. With its recent restoration and known history from new, this example is certainly one of the best.
https://rmsothebys.com/auctions/mc14/lots/r161-1949-jaguar-xk-120-alloy-roadster/
Mileage
202 km
