Matching numbers engine, verified by Jaguar Daimler Heritage Certficate
1954 Jaguar XK120 SE Roadster

3,442cc DOHC Inline 6-Cylinder Engine
2 SU Carburetors
180bhp at 5,200rpm
4-Speed Manual Transmission
Independent Front Suspension - Live Rear Axle
4-Wheel Hydraulic Drum Brakes

* Matching numbers engine, verified by Jaguar Daimler Heritage Certificate
* Original US-market specification, dispatched new to Hoffman, New York in May 1954
* Finished today in elegant Dark Blue over factory-correct Red interior; originally delivered Cream over Red
* A desirable SE "Special Equipment" XK120 with enhanced power, offered with known original specification


THE JAGUAR XK120

Conceived and constructed in just a few months, the XK120 debuted at the 1948 Earls Court Motor Show where the stunning-looking Roadster caused a sensation, the resulting demand for what was then the world's fastest production car taking Jaguar by surprise. With orders rolling in apace, Jaguar had no choice but to think again about the XK120's method of construction. The body had been conceived as a coachbuilt, aluminum paneled structure for the simple reason that Jaguar expected to sell no more than 200 XK120s in the first year! In conjunction with the Pressed Steel Fisher Company a new all-steel paneled body was developed, which retained the fabulous looks of the coachbuilt original while differing in minor external details. Beneath the skin the steel car considerably different, and it would take some 20 months of development before manufacture could begin.

The XK120's heart was, of course, the fabulous XK engine, developed during the war and intended for Jaguar's forthcoming Mark VII saloon. A 3.4-liter 'six' embodying the best of modern design, it boasted twin overhead camshafts running in an aluminum cylinder head, seven main bearings and a 160bhp rating. The chassis was essentially a shortened version of the simultaneously announced Mark V saloon's, featuring William Heynes's torsion bar independent front suspension. Jaguar lost no time in demonstrating that the XK120's claimed top speed was no idle boast. In May 1949, on the Jabbeke to Aeltre autoroute, an example with its hood and side screens in place recorded speeds of 126mph, and then 132mph with the hood and windscreen detached and an under-tray fitted.

The XK120 set new standards of comfort, roadholding and performance for British sports cars and, in keeping with the Jaguar tradition, there was nothing to touch it at the price. For customers who found the standard car too slow, there was the Special Equipment (SE) package which boosted power to 180bhp. The XK120 was produced until 1954 and would prove to be the most popular of the XK series, with 12,078 examples built, of which 2,194 were left-hand drive SE Roadsters like that offered here.


THE CAR OFFERED

The 1954 Jaguar XK120 SE presented here, chassis S675712, was completed on April 30, 1954, at Jaguar's Browns Lane factory. Built as a Left-Hand Drive example for the American market, the car was dispatched on May 10, 1954, to the renowned Max Hoffman distributorship in New York, one of Jaguar's most significant importers of European sports cars in the United States during the 1950s.

Factory records show that chassis S675712 was originally finished in Cream over a red interior with a Black soft top. Today, the car is presented in an attractive Dark Blue exterior over a red interior, a color combination believed to have been applied during a comprehensive refurbishment completed approximately a decade ago under previous ownership. The presentation remains faithful to the XK120's elegant proportions and sporting character.

This XK120 retains its original matching-numbers 3,442cc inline-six engine, numbered F3009-8S. The engine number corresponds with both the Jaguar Heritage Certificate and the stamping found on the engine block. In addition, the cylinder head remains matching to the car, further supporting the originality of the drivetrain configuration. Retaining its original engine and matching head configuration, S675712 represents a well-preserved example of Jaguar's iconic early postwar sports car.