To Be OFFERED AT AUCTION WITHOUT RESERVE at RM Sothebys' Monterey
event, 15 - 17 August 2019.
Estimate:
$275,000 - $325,000
- One of 184 left-hand-drive alloy roadsters built
- Presented in highly attractive period-correct color scheme
- Retains its matching-numbers engine and gearbox
The first Jaguar XK 120 was built in only six weeks for London's
1948 Earls Court Motor Show, and it created a sensation, to say the
least. The earliest cars were built with aluminum panels over a
wood frame, since aluminum was light and easy to work and was not
rationed like steel. Jaguar boss William Lyons originally planned
to sell only 200 XK 120s, but at only �998, orders poured in so
fast that he switched to steel bodies, which could be built much
faster and in greater numbers.
With typically British understatement, the "120" signified the
car's top speed, and the new 3,442-cubic-centimeter double-overhead
camshaft, six-cylinder engine pushed the new roadster to 126.8 mph
in speed trials on a public road in Jabbeke, Belgium. That was half
again as fast as most cars on the road in Britain at the time. Once
the top was down and the windshield removed, shedding both drag and
weight, factory test-driver Ron Sutton was timed at 141.51 mph. The
Jaguar's sensuous flowing lines and sparkling performance made it a
huge hit with racers and enthusiasts alike, with perhaps the most
famous example belonging to film legend and noted car enthusiast
Clark Gable.
In all, 7,631 XK 120 roadsters were built from 1949-1954, and 2,678
coupes between 1951 and 1954. The weather-tight drophead coupe
arrived last, with 1,769 produced in 1953 and 1954. Of the
roadsters, only the earliest 242 examples were bodied in aluminum,
and these earliest XK 120s are considered some of the most
desirable examples, especially the 184 left-hand-drive versions,
such as the example offered here.
According to the Jaguar Heritage Trust Certificate, this
alloy-bodied XK 120 was completed on 6 February 1950 and delivered
to the famed New York dealership of Max Hoffman on 23 March 1950.
The Jaguar was finished in Pastel Blue paint over a two-tone blue
interior with a Fawn top. Though its earliest history is unknown,
it is believed to have spent most of its life in the western United
States. The body and ash framework are said to be in original
condition, with the current paint having been applied sometime in
the 1970s. The JDHT certificate also confirms that the car is still
fitted with its matching-numbers engine and gearbox.
A proper alloy XK 120 is a must-own in any serious sports car
collection, and this is a fine example of the Earls Court
sensation.To view this car and others currently consigned to this
auction, please visit the RM website at
rmsothebys.com/en/auctions/mo19.
