JAGUAR - XK 120 OTS 4.2-litre Special Roadster
£ P.O.A

JAGUAR - XK 120 OTS 4.2-litre Special Roadster

The XK100 never existed as a production model, but there had been plans to produce it, and it was to have been powered by a 2 litre 4 cylinder engine which had been developed as part of the engine development program that had taken place in the war years. Apart from the engine, the car itself was to have been much the same as the XK120. It was never produced because the cost would have been almost the same as the XK120 due to the fact that initially the cars were largely handbuilt and this accounted for the largest percentage of the total cost.

The XK120 itself was almost certainly never intended to be a volume production model either. At that time Jaguar had an engine – the newly developed 6 cylinder XK unit, but the large sedan for which it was intended was not ready. This car, the MK VII finally appeared in 1950. In the meantime Jaguar badly needed to stir up some excitement, as its range was still of pre-war design, so the XK Open Two Seater Super Sports as it was then known was designed as a “show car” for the 1948 Motor Show. It utilized a shortened version of the chassis designed for the MK VII, which was already in use in the post war MK V, and the brand new XK engine, the result of all the research done during the war, while Jaguar could not produce any cars. It made extensive use of aluminum for the body panels, and William Lyons had plans to market it as a fairly low volume “specialty car”. Its purpose was to maintain public interest until the introduction of the MK VII, and act as a test bed for the new engine.

The rest is now history, the car was a sensation, and orders so overwhelmed the production capability that it had to be redesigned with a metal, rather than an aluminum body, so that it could be produced on a production line, rather than largely handbuilt as the prototype and the first 239 cars were. Because of the need to redesign and retool, volume production did not come onstream until 1950. Despite all the work done to “productionize” the car, the outward appearance did not change much at all – only some hard to spot panel curvatures reveal the difference.

Initially the car was called the XK Open Two Seater Super Sports, and was quickly renamed the XK120. The name derives from the engine and the top speed. All the engines types made during the war were “X” for experimental, and the next letter was the sequence. “K” happened to be the sequence of the engine that was up to the job.

The first model came to be known as the XK120 Roadster in retrospect, after the introduction in 1951 of the Fixed Head Coupe (FHC), and in 1953 of the Drop Head Coupe (DHC). The Roadster featured a hood and sticks approach to weather protection, along with detachable side screens, whereas the DHC had a proper stowable hood, and wind up windows, along with all the extra luxury inside that the FHC featured. This included extensive use of wood in the dashboard and door cappings. The design of the roof on the FHC showed a strong family likeness to the, then brand new, Mk VII

This split of models into two open and one closed type was to persist over all three iterations of XK series sports cars until the introduction of the E-Type in 1961.
The car pictured here, chassis number 660626  is outstanding in Deep Gloss Black with bespoke Oxblood hide & matching wire wheels.This car is one of just 609 right hand drive cars produced for the home market between 1950 &1954.

This car has been rebuilt to the highest standards by a renown German restorer. Specification whilst entirely sympathetic to the period modifications so often undertaken is without question an exceptional synergy with performance & character features from a bygone era of XK’s.

Specification includes a lightened & balanced 4.2 fully rebuilt engine with tripple twin choke Webbers ( approx 260bhp a seriously quick car sporting an outstanding Exhaust soundrack)

Gearbox is a genuine ZF 5 speed unit with servo assisted discs front & rear with full bias adjustment. Suspension is all uprated to include Koni dampers front & rear.

Driving position is enhanced with period competition seats & fully adjustable pedal box.

Wire wheels are painted in a lovely deep Oxblood colour to match the impeccable interior of this car.

The car currently fitted with period original Aero screens comes  with the original full restored XK full screen.

This car comes with a full Heritage certificate confirming original paint & interior colours.

This is a truly head turning example of an Iconic Jaguar, bringing the very best tuning modifications to a car restored to the very highest standards. Attention to detail is second to none, this XK has a driving experience to surpass the extraordinary visual appeal of the car.A seldom seen opportunity to own an outstanding car with just running in miles since the 3 year restoration was completed.

The car will go to a proud new owner with fresh UK MOT and recent full rolling road set up following full checks post running in miles.

This car is seriously quick, a joy to drive with so much individuality as to grab the right attention in any Paddock or even the most well attended Jaguar event.