Jaguar XK120 Roadster

Jaguar's first post-war sports car, the XK120 roadster was conceived and designed in a matter of months, primarily to act as a showcase for the marque's new XK engine. Shown at the 1948 Earls Court Motorshow in the dark days of rationing, it caused such a sensation that William Lyons was forced to put it into production right away. Arrestingly beautiful, the first cars had handbuilt aluminium bodies on an ash frame, but by 1950 a more mass production version with a pressed steel body with alloy doors, bonnet and boot had been developed. A fixed head version was launched in 1951, followed by a drophead in 1953. Just 12,780 Jaguar XK120s were produced before it was replaced by the larger XK140 in October 1954, most in left-hand drive, of which 7,614 were roadsters.

The chassis was a strong box-section affair with independent torsion-bar front suspension, a leaf-sprung 'live' rear axle and hydraulic drum brakes. Power came from the now legendary XK twin-overhead cam 3.4-litre straight-six engine, developing 160bhp and giving the car a genuine 120mph top speed, making it the fastest production car of its day – hence the XK120 name. In 1952 Stirling Moss and three other drivers famously drove a virtually standard XK120 around the banked track at Montlhery for seven days and nights on end, clocking up an average speed of 100.31mph before driving the car back to London with no problems whatsoever.

As its accompanying Heritage Certificate confirms, this particular left-hand drive roadster was manufactured in June 1954 and was supplied new to Hoffman of New York, the main USA distributor at the time. A matching numbers machine that still retains its original engine, gearbox and chassis, it was brought back to the UK in 2004 and has just emerged from a total nut-and-bolt rebuild that took some four years to complete.

Every single part of the car has been rebuilt or renewed as necessary and the car is now in outstanding condition throughout. The original colour scheme of red coachwork with a biscuit leather interior has been retained and the car is as good underneath as it is up top. The engine, gearbox and rear axle were rebuilt by marque specialists CFS Motors of Coventry and it not only sounds wonderful but is also said to drive superbly with excellent handling.

The current vendor (who has owned the car for the last five years or so) wanted to go for a period Club Racer look so the bonnet has been louvred for improved cooling and the windscreen has been replaced by twin aeroscreens with the rear-view mirror in a central binnacle. However the original screen has been retained and is available by separate negotiation if desired, as is the original hood frame. A full tonneau cover is supplied with the car.

Taxed and MOTd until April 2011, this car needs absolutely nothing and has to be seen to be fully appreciated. It comes with a large file of bills to substantiate the extent of the works carried out and is only reluctantly being sold to fund another restoration project.