Jaguar XK 120 DHC, 1954
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Mise à jour: 29-March-2024 12:09

Jaguar XK 120 DHC, 1954

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Jaguar XK 120 Drophead Coupe (DHC), year 1954. Chassis number: 678302, engine number: NAI242-8 and 7365-8. Colour British Racing Green with a beige leather interior trimmed with brown piping. Brown carpet. Black mohair soft top. This car was originally sold new in the Netherlands, the old linen registration 'paper' is still present. This fabulous Jaguar XK 120 was extensively restored in the year 2004. The automobile is in superb (excellent+) condition! Additionally some modifications were carried out to improve safety and reliability. Improvements: 'S' cylinderhead, 'fast road' camshafts, more precise XK 150 steering, Getrag 5-speed manual gearbox, special rollbars, special leather seats, 4-point safety harnesses, GTI rally twin, a louvered bonnet for improved cooling, 123 electronic ignition, 2 inch 'sand-cast' carburettors, Dunlop alloy wheels, additional driving lamps at front and a special steering wheel. This masculine XK 120 drives fantastic!

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The Jaguar XK 120 was introduced in 1948, and caused an immediate sensation. The XK 120 had a top speed of 120 miles an hour (about. 200 km/h) and was the fastest production car for sale at that time. The XK 120 was designed by Jaguar’s boss and founder William Lyons. The bodywork had an almost sculptural design, with sober, well-chosen flowing lines and beautiful curves. With its exquisite long bonnet and elongated wing lines, the XK 120 has a very dynamic charisma.

Together with the XK 120, the new Jaguar "XK" straight-six engine was introduced which, for the next forty years, was to attire all Jaguar models in ever improved forms. The XK 120 was available in three versions: as a roadster, the slightly larger DHC (Drop Head Coupe) and as the FHC (Fixed Head Coupe) with a fixed steel roof. The XK 120 was built until 1954 and was followed by the XK 140.

Technical data

Six cylinder in-line engine (DOHC)
carburettors: 2x S.U. H6 1¾ inch
cylinder capacity: 3442 cc.
capacity: 190 bhp. at 5300 rpm.
torque: 272 Nm at 5300 rpm.
top-speed: 194 km/h. - 120 mph.
gearbox: 4-speed, manual
weight: 1346 kg.

Source: The Jagua

Jaguar history

Though the Jaguar brand was first used in 1945, its factory had been founded long before. In 1922, William Lyons and William Walmsley laid the foundation of the firm in Blackpool, England, with the name of Swallow Coachbuilding Co. The factory constructed motorcycles and sidecars and later bodies based on the Austin Seven chassis. When in the 1930s their own SS cars were built, the company name was changed into SS cars Ltd.
The SS cars were conventional saloons and drophead coupes in the way many other British brands built them.
For obvious reasons, After World War II the company name SS Cars Ltd. was changed into Jaguar Cars Ltd. It was the birth of the now famous and popular make of Jaguar.

The pre-war SS models were sold under the name of Jaguar until 1948, and in this year the saloon, the MK-V, and a sports car, which was the much talked of XK 120, were brought onto the market.
The XK 120 was very successful, and established the fame of this name as one of the icons in the history of motorcars. The XK 120 could reach 120 miles an hour (almost 200 km/h), which made it the fastest production car of its time. Moreover, the XK 120 cost much less than the other comparable production models by Aston Martin and Ferrari.
In 1951 and 1953, Jaguar won the 24-hour of Le Mans with a racer based on the XK 120, the Jaguar C-type. It made the name outright immortal. Success was continued the next years with the Jaguar D-type, which surpassed its competitors with its disc brakes.
The XK sports car series was a success and the XK 120 was succeeded by the XK 140 and XK 150 over the years. The deluxe saloons were a spur to victory with the introduction of the MK I in 1957 and the MK II in 1959. This self-willed, streamlined sedan was a real ‘wolf in sheep’s clothing’. The car was fitted with the powerful 3.4 litre XK six-cylinder engine, which was good for reaching a top-speed of about 200 km/h.

In 1960, Jaguar took over the British Daimler, and from that time onward it used the name of Daimler for its deluxe, comfort-oriented models, and the name of Jaguar for its sporty cars.
In 1961, the famous Jaguar E-Type was born. The E-Type was inspired by the D-Type racing car from the fifties. Like the XK, the E-Type was an icon in the history of car making, with an almost alien design and excellent technology. The E-Type appeared as a roadster, as an FHC (Fixed Head Coupe) and as a 2+2. They also built some special lightweight E-Types to prolong the racing successes of the past. However, they did not succeed as competitors had copied the technical achievements of the D-Type.
In the production of the deluxe saloons, a large MK X was added to the MK II, and the contiguous S-Type, the 240/340 series and the 420/420G series were brought onto the market.

In 1968, the Jaguar XJ was designed and though evolved in many ways, the XJ is available to this very day.…
In 1971, a V12 engine was added to the Jaguar E-Type, and later in the Daimler Double Six and the Jaguar XJ 12. At that time, it was the only twelve-cylinder engine in serial production in the world.
In the mid-seventies, the E-Type had to clear the field and besides the XJ, the special-lined 2+2 came onto the market. It was the XJS. This car was also available as a convertible.

So far the classic period. In the future the Jaguar history from 1980 will be filled in.

© Marc Vorgers 

Marc Vorgers
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Marc Vorgers