1954 Jaguar XK 120 Roadster

Built in November 1953, chassis number 661145 was one of the last RHD XK 120 Roadsters to roll out of Jaguar’s Browns Lane factory in Coventry. It didn’t get sent to the dealer, Henlys of London, until late June in the following year but they didn’t hang onto it for long as it was swiftly registered to its first owner on 3 July 1954.

Although widely known as a Roadster - especially in the USA - us Brits also called this configuration an Open Two Seater or OTS. It differed from the later Drop-Head Coupe (DHC) in that the folding roof was a rather flimsy single layer of fabric, with detachable side curtains and folded away below the body line at the rear. On a DHC, there were wind-up windows, the roof was insulated and it folded on top of the rear deck when dropped, allowing space for a narrow and uncomfortable seat in the rear.

Although the original “log book” isn’t retained, both buff and green early continuation registration documents show that by the late 1970s the car had moved around a fair bit including London, Surrey, Hampshire and Glamorgan. Other evidence in the history file suggests a few changes of colour from the original black to grey, red and now green.

Believed to have been laid up as a non-runner since the early ‘70s, there were subsequent efforts to revive it but it wasn’t until 2016 that the XK 120 underwent a very detailed renovation at Queenstown Car Restorations in Battersea. With bills totalling around £50,000, this work included a full strip down, repaint and retrim and a thorough mechanical overhaul by marque specialist Bob Thredder of Croydon.

Following completion, with a freshly awarded MOT, the car was sold at auction in December 2016 to classic car specialists Chelsea Cars; from whom the current owner bought the XK for his collection in September 2018, only using it occasionally since.

The car’s odometer now reads 23,400 which is only a little over 100 miles driven since the MOT following its restoration. So, despite the restoration now being more than 4 years ago, it could be fairly described as a freshly restored car.

During the restoration in 2016, the exterior was not repainted in the car’s original black but in the ever popular and oh-so appropriate British Racing Green. The paint finish is very good and the overall condition strong, but of course it isn’t perfect. There are a few marks and blemishes that presumably have developed in the last few years - despite careful storage and limited use - but nothing that detracts from how great the car looks.

The chrome trims and fittings around the car present in a very good condition too - all of it having been renewed during the restoration.

The new sand coloured mohair top is perfectly flimsy, as it should be, and fits well over the frame. Being a light colour it readily shows the dirt, but if anything a bit of patina somewhere on this otherwise largely pristine-looking car adds some character. The slot-shaped rear window offers little in the way of a rear view, but enough to see traffic following.

As befits an XK 120 sporting rear wheel arch spats, this car sits on 16-inch steel wheels, painted in body colour with chromed hubcaps at the front (cars with wire wheels had none as they would have fouled the centre-lock spinners). All appear in excellent condition (aside from a missing Jaguar badge on one) and are fitted with barely-used Rapid tyres.

The interior of this Jaguar is just glorious, fully upholstered and trimmed in beautiful tan leather with sand coloured, leather-edged Wilton carpeting. The fluted leather seats are unmarked and the door cards have the look of an expensive handbag. The rest is in excellent order too with practically nothing by way of wear or damage.

The neatly retrimmed dash carries a small plaque denoting this car as a replica of the record-breaking Jabbeke XK 120. This plaque was fitted to all OTS XK 120s following the speed run but as the model evolved, and pressed steel body panels replaced hand-beaten aluminium, the wording was subtly changed from “exact replica” to simply “replica”.

The steering wheel is of an original style in black with a 17-inch diameter and four spokes. Many would have chosen to install a more racy Moto-Lita, but this looks just the part with what appears to be the original horn button and indicator.

Behind the seats under a custom-made cover, two batteries have been connected in parallel - maintaining a 12-volt supply but giving more oomph to ensure it has enough power for starting the car.

Under the bonnet, all looks in good mechanical order but there’s evidently been some moisture left inside the engine bay as a light bloom of surface rust has appeared over the radiator and a few other ancillaries and fittings down one side. Nothing appears to have been damaged by it but it detracts a little from the look of what otherwise is a beautifully appointed engine bay.

The undersides of the car are mostly still painted black and waxoyled from the rework, but again rust - or possibly sandy water - has splashed across a number of the structural components. Otherwise, all appears solid and in good order and the Bell stainless exhaust looks in excellent condition.

Once the roof and side curtains are stowed in the split-level boot, along with the spare steel wheel, jack and tool roll, there’s not a huge amount of space for luggage, but enough for a few days away. The boot carpets and linings are in a sand coloured fabric with the same tan edge trim used inside the car.

The Jaguar was last put through an MOT in November 2016, immediately after the restoration was completed, which it passed with no advisories.

As it stands, the car has no MOT and although exempt by virtue of its age, we would strongly encourage the new owner to have it tested at the earliest opportunity. The cost of an MOT is a small investment when offset against the purchase and upkeep of any classic car, and it gives an independent, third-party assessment of the car’s condition, which not only provides reassurance to the owner and any subsequent purchasers but is also invaluable in the event of a bump when negotiating with the police and any interested insurance companies.

The car comes with an extensive history file which includes the Jaguar Heritage Certificate, hand written accounts and correspondence, historical photos, numerous invoices for parts supplied, and work done during the restoration. There are also buff and green “log books” belonging to the car from the ‘60s and ‘70s.

The restoration in 2016 was a comprehensive one and far too extensive to be fully detailed but can be summarised as follows:

Outside:

Body stripped to bare metal, repaired and repainted - all chromework stripped and rechromed. New German mohair hood. Refurbished wheels and new tyres.

Inside:

Interior completely retrimmed with new leather seats and interior trim panels and new Wilton carpets. Dash panel and instrument overhaul.

Mechanical:

New clutch, exhaust manifolds, cooling hoses, stainless steel exhaust, front shock absorbers, electric fan and switch, overhaul of front suspension, hydraulics, carburettors, and starter motor.

This beautiful car has had some quality time and good money spent on it in recent years to bring it back from the dead and up to a superb level of finish and condition. Aside from a few more recent minor issues under the bonnet, the car still retains the look of a car fresh out of the restorers shop.

This Jaguar XK 120 is an original UK market, matching numbers, right-hand-drive Open Two Seater - one of the last few dozen to be produced and, although not the car’s original finish, what could be better than the British Racing Green over Tan combination for a ‘50s roadster?

Viewing is always encouraged, within Govt. guidelines of course, and as stated this car is located at our Abingdon headquarters; to arrange an appointment please use the ‘Contact Seller’ button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.

The price of all this wonderfully restored loveliness from Jaguar’s golden age will not come cheaply, but whoever thought it would? That said, we’ve seen average asking prices steadying since their peak a few years ago, so we think this car will sell for between £63,500 and £95,000.

When even that kind of money earns two-thirds of nothing by way of interest in the bank, why not put it into something like this Jaguar which we think will attract a much higher rate of interest!