1954 JAGUAR XK120 Roadster
Serial number S674818
Nice condition
Ex-Croulet collection
Collector's registration

On October 27, 1948, England's first post-war Motor Show opened its doors at Earls Court in London. No one was prepared for the shock of seeing a sublime bronze-colored roadster, the revolutionary new XK 120, on the Jaguar stand. William Lyons had just set the bar very high, as far as sports and production cars were concerned. 60 years later, we still look back on the roadster's superb lines and listen with the same pleasure to the blare of that fabulous XK engine. With 6 cylinders and 2 overhead camshafts, it's a true ultra-sport engine that powers this sculpture on wheels.
The car became one of the fastest, if not the fastest, mass-produced road cars of its time. The roadster went into production in 1949, and demand was instantaneous. In competitions the world over, XK 120s were the first to cross the finish line. Even today, many XK 120s take part in races and rallies, providing great pleasure for their drivers. Emblematic of the English revival in the immediate post-war period, the XK 120 is one of the icons of motoring history, undoubtedly one of the most famous British cars. A similar model completes Ralph Lauren's fabulous collection.
The example we are presenting is a 1954 roadster that once belonged to the Musée de l'Automobile in Sanary-sur-Mer. It was subsequently acquired by a Bouches du Rhône enthusiast, who kept it for over 20 years before selling it to another enthusiast.
In place of the original engine, this XK120 is fitted with a 3.8 with three SU carburetors; a modification that considerably boosts performance, as we noticed during our test drive.