Chassis No. S 681124

Engine No. W 82438S

Transmission No. JL 16471

Body No. J 3140

OFFERED WITHOUT RESERVE

Originally intended as a low-volume model to show off Jaguar's newly developed XK six-cylinder engine, the XK120 caused a stir amongst the motoring press and attendees at its 1948 London Motor Show debut. With orders swiftly coming in for the elegantly streamlined roadster, company founder William Lyons, smartly convinced of higher than anticipated demand, subsequently ordered the XK120's aluminum coachwork to be redesigned in pressed steel so it could be produced on an assembly line, rather than handbuilt like the prototype and first series cars.

The XK's William Heyes-designed 3.4-liter dual-overhead-cam inline-six was technically advanced for the period and featured an aluminum cylinder head, hemispherical combustion chambers, inclined valves, and twin side-draft SU carburetors. Contributing to good road manners, underpinnings included a steel chassis, independent torsion bar front suspension, rear semi-elliptic leaf springs, recirculating ball steering, adjustable steering column, and 12" Lockheed drum brakes. In November 1949, The Motor magazine tested the show car, reporting 0-60 mph in 10.0 seconds and a 124.6 mph top speed making the XK120 the fastest production car in the world at the time of its launch.

While initially released in Open Two-Seater (OTS) roadster form, a Fixed Head Coupe (FHC) debuted at the March 1951 Geneva Motor Show. More practical and refined than the spartan roadster, the coupe featured a handsome teardrop roof profile, expansive headroom, and a quieter, more relaxed cabin. Other features included locking door handles, wind-up windows, and cabin ventilation flaps in the front fenders. Beginning in June 1951, an optional Special Equipment 'SE' package was made available, and included wire wheels, a revised suspension, dual exhaust system, and a modified engine producing 180-horsepower at 5,300 rpm and 203 lb-ft of torque at 4,000 rpm compared to 160-horsepower at 5000 rpm and 195 lb-ft at 2,500 rpm for the standard model.

According to its Jaguar Heritage Certificate, this 1953 Jaguar XK120 SE Fixed Head Coupe was completed by the factory on 21 April 1953. Finished in Pastel Green over a complementary Suede Green interior, this XK120 was, in fact, equipped with the desirable SE package as denoted by its 'S' chassis prefix. Delivered new through Charles Hornburg Jaguar in Los Angeles, California, this example is said to have been later traded in at a Los Angeles-area Ford dealership and subsequently purchased by Lawrence J. Brancato Jr. of San Clemente, California in May 1955.

Noted to have been highly prized by Mr. Brancato, this XK120 remained within his family ownership for fifty-eight years until 2013 when the car was rediscovered in storage. Understood to have been lying dormant for some years, this XK120 was stated to maintain the majority of its factory-applied finishes and was given a sympathetic but thorough recommissioning under new ownership before being acquired by current owner in 2014. Today, this Jaguar runs and drives beautifully while maintaining a wonderful patina and original feel and presents as the benchmark example of how an XK120 departed Coventry in the early 1950s. One of approximately 2,672 examples built from 1951-1954, this XK120 is accompanied by a substantial file of documentation detailing its continuous history its Jaguar Heritage Trust Certificate, California black plate, original tool roll, jack and spare. A landmark car when introduced, this sale is an opportunity to acquire a well-preserved, numbers matching Jaguar XK120 FHC.