1951 Jaguar XK 120 Roadster, which was the first post-war sports car from the carmaker, will now have one of its editions go under the hammer for a listed price of $88,100. It was manufactured between 1948 and 1954, and it was launched in roadster form at the 1948 London Motor Show as a test bed and show car for the new Jaguar XK engine.
Launched at the 1948 London Motor Show, this rare Jaguar XK120 sports car is still a head-turner
This particular piece was one of the first to sport the aluminum body before it got replicated further. The 120 name referred to its 120mph top speed which made the XK120 the world’s fastest standard production car at the time of its launch. It was available in two convertible versions: first as the roadster, then also as a drophead coupé from 1953 and as a closed, or fixedhead coupé from 1951.
The car features the classic green paint job on the outside, with a lighter tone of the color being used for the leather interiors. Other than that, the original UK registration and matching numbers are a part of the package the new owner would be receiving. Under the hood, there is a 4-speed manual transmission engine which could go up to 120 m/ph of top speed, which ended up giving the car its popular name. For those who might want to verify the authenticity, a Jaguar/Daimler certificate will also be issued along with.
Supplied new through Henley’s of London and reportedly restored in the late 1980’s, there are also a number of more recent invoices from specialists. These include a new aluminium petrol tank in 2009, five new Avon Turbospeed tyres in 2008, the fitment of a lead-free cylinder head, a new stainless steel exhaust system and a new battery amongst many others that can be seen in the history file. MoT test certificates attest to just 9,000 miles covered in the last 12 years and the overall condition certainly reflects that of a cared-for car.
This example is expected to sell for $88,500, placing it among the higher-end examples – and it will be sure to lusted after again at Historics at Brooklands’ sale, this weekend.\
