The Jaguar XK120 was a rather extraordinary sports car for its time, not for any notable technology or coachwork advances, but because it achieved touring car standards of ride and comfort in a sports car which had performance exceeding that any other production car.
The XK120 name referred to its outstanding 120 mph top speed, which was even faster with the windscreen removed. At the time of its launch, it was the world’s fastest standard production car.
Power came from a dual overhead cam 3.4 L straight-6 engine. With an alloy cylinder head and twin side draft SU carburetors, the XK engine was very advanced for a mass produced unit, developing 160 bhp with the standard 8:1 compression ratio. This basic design of the XK engine was used into the late 1980s.
1952 Jaguar XK120 Roadster For Sale
Details: Seller Fantasy Junction is asking $138,500 for the XK120. Car is located in the San Francisco Bay area.
Seller Comments: “This matching numbers car has received a stunning and extremely comprehensive frame-off restoration a few hundred miles ago, and remains in freshly restored condition. The quality of the work is extremely high and included the renewal of all cosmetics and mechanicals, including the body, paint, glass, lights, rubber, complete interior, engine, suspension, brakes, and wiring harness.”
“The jack, tire pump, and full tool roll are present in the trunk, and all tires are period Dunlop items. A pair of Lucas accessory lamps is also fitted, and the grease gun is present in the engine compartment.”
“The exterior of the car is in beautiful show condition, with superb paint, preparation and panels. The gaps and fit are both excellent, and there is no wear evident. The chrome is fresh and outstanding throughout, including on the wheels and spinners. All glass and lights are excellent as well, and the car is fitted with Lucas tri-bar headlamps and Lucas accessory fog lamps. The difficult to fit windscreen is properly installed on this car.”
“The car drives extremely well. The engine makes excellent, smooth power with great oil pressure as you would expect from a freshly rebuilt unit. The unmistakable straight six exhaust note of this car is a very special treat. The brakes are effective, and the suspension is tight. The transmission requires deliberate shifts, as is often the case with Moss boxes and occasionally pops out of second gear on deceleration. The owner of the car is aware of this and is flexible to help facilitate the rectification of this issue since the new owner may wish to fit a 5-speed gearbox instead of repairing the current matching numbers one.”
Sports Car Digest Comments: The 2008 Sports Car Market price guide suggests a $60,000 – $95,000 price range for a Jaguar XK120, while the January – May Cars That Matter price guide advocates a $47,500 – $118,000 range. This particular XK120 has undergone a very high quality extensive restoration, so the steep asking price does buy the best of the best. And to be sure, the asking price is far less than the cost of restoration.
With that said, Sports Car Digest would prefer a strong driver over a museum piece, as we would insist upon entering the Jaguar in as many rallies as possible.
Jaguar XK120 Photos:
[Source: Fantasy Junction]
