1950 JAGUAR XK-120 ROADSTER:
--Silver with Red Leather interior, Red Carpeting, Black convertible soft-top, Fully Restored, Exact Replica of 1949 XK-120 high-speed run car, 3.4 Liter 6-cylinder engine, 4-Speed manual Moss gearbox.
This very early production Jaguar XK-120 is equipped with a chrome-plated top and seat frames, a chromed bonnet and boot prop rods and air scoops on the front brake backing plates. There are no side air vents in front of the doors and, in addition, the dashboard displays the distinctive “Exact Replica” plaque dated May 30, 1949, quoting a speed of 132.6 mph.
Delivered first to Los Angeles’ famous Jaguar distributor, Charles Hornburg, this Silver XK-120 was then sold a Northern California dealership on September 28, 1950. The first owner was a local Californian who drove the car until the mid-1960s, when the aging Jaguar was tucked away in a storage barn. It remained in the barn with little acknowledgement for the next 2 decades. At this point, the owner’s son began to disassemble the Jag in preparation for a full restoration. In the 1990s, after a few failed attempts by the family to get the project going, the Jaguar was then sold to its second owner. This owner kept the car, mostly in its current disassembled state, for approximately 10 years.
The Jag was then discovered by a British car enthusiast who subsequently purchased the car. His initial intention was to make the car a hot-rodded driver. However, upon learning of this Jag’s unique history and very early production date, he decided against this plan. Instead, a complete nut-and-bolt restoration was performed that returned the Jag to its original factory-delivered specification. Even in its disassembled state, the Jaguar was remarkably complete. Many features have been photographed to illustrate how Jaguar coded components with the date of manufacture, such as the starter, generator and light switch. Any missing items that needed to be sourced for the restoration were NOS components; however, the vast majority of the restoration utilized carefully rebuilt original parts. The restoration was performed in 2009 and 2010. Every aspect of the car, cosmetic and mechanical, seen and unseen, has been painstakingly restored with the goal of making this early XK-120 as correct and authentic as possible.
Stephen Galdrige of AJAG in California has equipped the original, matching-numbers engine with .040-over pistons and has completely rebuilt and balanced the unit. All other electrical and mechanical components have been rebuilt and restored, including gauges, brakes, rear end, fuel pump, wiper motor, generator, starter, radiator, carburetors, front end, steering box, brake lines and cylinders, front and rear suspension, gas tank and wiring. Both body and frame were mineral stripped before Igor Boun, a European specialist, carefully painted the Jaguar in its original Silver color. The interior was refinished to exacting standards in Red leather upholstery, utilizing the proper materials. Lastly, the top was completed featuring the correct black Stayfast fabric with the top bows chromed just as they would have been when they left the factory in Coventry. The Jag is also complete with its Brooklands-style windscreens, an aluminum passenger-side tonneau cover and a period-appropriate head fairing. These components allow for three specifications; stock road car, two-seat rally car and single-seat racer.
As a California car from new with matching numbers and unique early XK-120 features, this Jag is an exciting opportunity in and of itself. This XK-120 is even more enticing and collectible with its exacting restoration, excellent documentation and one of the most desirable factory color combinations. This immaculate XK-120 is ready for immediate concours or touring use and is eligible for some of the world’s foremost vintage rallies, include the fame Mille Miglia retrospective.
