1951 Jaguar XK120 Open Two Seater

Description

The Jaguar XK120, manufactured by Jaguar from 1948 to 1954, marked Jaguar's return to the sports car market since the end of SS 100 production in 1939. Initially unveiled as an open two-seater or roadster at the 1948 London Motor Show, it served as a showcase for Jaguar's new XK engine, designed by Chief Engineer William Heynes. The prototype, chassis number 660001, closely resembled the eventual production models, with minor differences in the windscreen design. Its impressive performance at the Ostend-Jabbeke motorway in Belgium on 30 May 1949, where it achieved an average speed of 132.6 mph, convinced Jaguar's founder William Lyons to put it into production. Subsequent feats, including averaging over 100 mph for 24 hours and over 130 mph for an hour at Autodrome de Linas-Montlhéry in France, further solidified the XK120's reputation as a high-performance sports car. 

Highlights 

• Recipient of The Gil Nickel/Far Niente Award for restoration excellence at the 2024 The Amelia Concours d'Elegance  

• Complete with its matching numbers, chassis, engine, transmission, and body 

• Powered by a 3.4-liter inline-six rated at 160 horsepower when new 

• Finished in period-correct Battleship Gray with a Red Leather interior 

• Correct “short” type folding soft top, with matching side curtains and tonneau cover 

• Thoroughly restored over four years by the current owner, with more detailed information about the process in the history file found in the Additional Documents section below 

• An original left-hand drive example sold new through Hoffman Motors of New York City on 10 January 1951 

• Please note that while the odometer displays just over 10,000 miles at the time of listing, the true mileage is unknown 

Features  

• Correct factory steel wheels and hub caps  

• Factory rear fender “spats” with removal tool  

• Chrome front bumper and rear over-riders  

• Split windshield  

• Four-spoke steering wheel  

• Leather dashboard trim   

• Dash-mounted rearview mirror  

• Front independent suspension with torsion bars and shock absorbers 

• 140 mph speedometer  

• Rear live axle with semi-elliptical leaf springs and shock absorbers 

• Leather-wrapped rear leaf springs 

• Steel body on box-section steel frame construction  

• Length – 173.0 inches  

• Width – 61.5 inches  

• Height – 52.5 inches  

• Wheelbase – 102.0 inches 

Known Imperfections 

• As a result of keeping the original oil scroll-style seal on the rear of the crankshaft, the car will leak a few drops of oil after driving 

• Inoperable clock 

• Minor paint imperfections 

• Slight marring of the windshield trim 

• One of the included reproduction batteries has a bad cell 

Included 

• Tool kit 

• Tire inflator 

• Jack 

• Two reproduction batteries 

• Operating, Maintenance, and Service Handbook 

• Workshop service manuals 

• Tonneau cover 

• Sider curtains 

• Radiator cap 

• Original engine main bearing bolts 

• License plate holder 

• Touch-up paint 

Ownership History 

The current owner of this 1951 Jaguar XK120 Open Two Seater reports purchasing the car from California in November 2019.