Chassis No.: 671

€85 000 | Sold

Original configuration Known history Matching numbers French collector's registration Chassis n° : 671 566 Engine: W 3664 - 8 Bodywork: F 3482 After the war, the very first British car show was to open in London, at Earls Court, on 28 October 1948. A few months earlier, Jaguar managers realized that the Mk VII saloon they were planning to present would not be ready in time: they decided in haste to have a sports car made to fit the brand new chassis with independent front wheels (shortened by 50 cm!) and its 6-cylinder engine with cast iron block and aluminium cylinder head with double overhead camshafts. The press had to be kept waiting!

This is how the Jaguar XK 120 was born, a showroom prototype that was to become a major automotive icon of the 20th century, and a best-seller for the brand. The 3,442cc engine delivered 160bhp and allowed the car to reach 120 miles per hour, hence its name. It must be said that the lines of the bronze roadster (equipped with its sheet metal wheels and famous spats) that was unveiled on the Jaguar stand at the London show are particularly refined, carved by the wind, with its inimitable V-shaped windshield. Chassis #660 001 has been doing the rounds of the shows and is seducing British sports car fans, especially Americans.

Even more so when the firm's owner, William Lyons, launched the car in a series of speed records, where the car made a one-two for its first official race. The first 240 cars were built in aluminium, like the prototype, before cost issues forced the factory to build steel bodies (the doors remained in aluminium). In 1951, the sublime roadster was joined by a coupe, a design that completed the magnifying of William Lyons' design. After 6 years on the market and 12,061 units rolled off the production line, the venerable British firm replaced the XK 120 with the 140, a more modern and bourgeois evolution of the concept.

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The car shown here has a 1949 registration, but its serial number suggests that it is more likely to be a 1951 factory model. This is a steel body version, with its original engine, Moss gearbox and ENV axle. Its steel rims and spats, as well as its black dress and cream interior give it a proud look, reinforced by this inimitable patina, witness of a car that runs. Its owner bought it in 1998: a great Jaguar enthusiast, and a prominent member of the French club of the brand, he wanted to own a classic Jaguar in each of the XK engine's displacements, this 120 ticking the "3.4 l engine" box.

Since 1998, our enthusiast, a great driver and user of his cars, has driven thousands of kilometers with this 120, giving it regular and attentive care, and minor improvements that greatly contribute to the pleasure of driving this iconic Jaguar. These include the installation of an electric fan and an expansion tank to overcome any heating problems, the purchase of a new lead-free cylinder head and the welcome addition of a steering damper. All these little extras make this XK 120 one of the most pleasant cars we've ever driven.

https://www.aguttes.com/lot/113642/d0272bcf-46d4-4bac-a474-6918cf075eec