1953 Jaguar XK120 SE

This stunning XK120 SE is an early fixed-head coupe – but a late example of Jaguar’s first 120+ mph sportscar. The fixed-head style was added from 1952 with the drop-head cabriolet arriving a year later. This example has undergone a great deal of recent remedial restoration to its bodywork, focussing on the floors, B-posts and doors. The panel shut lines in these areas are therefore very crisp, accurate and uniform. The doors close, with a reassuringly accurate ‘thunk’, totally flush to the body, just as one would expect of a car that has just left a quality bodyshop. 

A recently acquired build trace certificate (in the gallery) from Jaguar Heritage Trust places confirms the car as a factory Special Equipment build with the exact date of manufacture as February 19, 1953. Once it left the factory it was shipped to New York where it was offered for sale by the Hoffman Auto Showroom on Park Avenue, set amid the striking architecture of its (now sadly demolished) Frank Lloyd Wright building; how romantic a thought it is to imagine this Jaguar cruising along Madison Avenue or indeed at higher speeds towards The Hamptons. It may even of had its tyres kicked by a Kennedy.

Discovered by the vendor in 2018, the car was repatriated to Britain shortly after and immediately underwent extensive recommissioning into the fine example we see today.

Originally painted in Pastel Blue, this XK has since been refinished in a striking shade of red by one of its former American owners. Sadly, the car’s history didn’t accompany it when it came across the pond, so we don’t know who carried out the work, but the finish appears to be excellent. If we're really picky, and we know you appreciate that, we did notice a bend to the lower front valence and a crack in the paint along the nearside edge of the bonnet; only very minor blemishes to what is a VERY fine-looking machine.

The wonderful period wire wheels appear in splendid condition. To the next owners benefit, the vendor reports that he’s only very recently replaced all five tyres (including the spare) with a matching set of 15-inch Pirelli Cinturato tyres plus new tubes, valves and balancing at a cost of nearly £2,000. The Chromework around this near 70-year-old Jaguar is in excellent shape; the Hub spinners, wing-mounted mirrors, huge quad headlights and grille slats look resplendent - and quite fitting - for such an historically important piece of British sports car history.

Opening the doors, you’re met with an interior that’s highly presentable and very welcoming. There’s patina aplenty from the door card material to the front seat bases. Speaking of the latter, there’s also what seems to be a small repair in the form of stitching to the back of both front seats and a patch of leather stuck to the nearside edge of the driver’s backrest. Elsewhere the bases show their age in the leather, and the passenger-side has a hole which is suspiciously cigarette-sized; no-doubt caused by Audrey Hepburn, probably, possibly, perhaps. 

The recently completed work to the doors and B-posts are documented by photos included in the gallery and it’s clear that the welding and painting was done to a very high standard and the fabrication appears to have been carried out very professionally. The vendor has reported that the rev-counter has begun to operate sporadically but other than that, everything operates as it should.

The recent work to the underside is backed up by the condition of the floors and sills. They look in fantastic shape with plenty of weather protection, likely to keep them this way for many years to come. Mechanical components are covered in the light oil mist you’d expect for a classic British sports car, with no areas exhibiting signs of excessive fluid leaks. Quite the opposite in fact. The underseal is liberal in places including the upper front suspension and steering components.

The engine bay presents well with this XK’s clean and tidy rocker covers and spark plug wells shining bright. A Kenlowe fan has been added to the radiator to keep things cool at the push of a button or thermostatically-triggered temperature. Even the correct period twin-SU carburettors still exhibit their oil-bathed air filters. It’s all appears to be original and tidy under here. The car starts cleanly and keenly and runs and drives well.

The V5C shows zero former keepers and a build date of 1953. Hardly a surprise as the car was only first registered over here when it entered the UK in 2018.

The vendor reports that the recent body restoration was carried out by Heritage Classics in Teesside and totalled about £22k. The work included fitting and painting new sills, door posts, floors, all seals and carpets and reassembly. The vendor also reports that electronic ignition has been fitted and its powered by a brand-new high-output battery (that's £200 alone).

See the photo gallery for copies of all the invoices detailing all the work carried out, as well as the recently acquired heritage certificate and images of the car at the bodyshop.

This is a structurally sound and mechanically on-the-button XK120; it not only looks fantastic but is ready to enjoy right away. The vendor was keen to point out that the car feels fast and mechanically strong and having road tested it we agree wholly with him. We therefore fully believe that this fine example well deserves a hammer price of well beyond its lower estimate of £65,000, indeed an example as good as this could cost a retail buyer as much as £85,000.

Viewing is always encouraged and as stated this car is located at our Abingdon headquarters; we are open Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm and to arrange an appointment please use the ‘Contact Seller’ button at the top of the listing to make an appointment. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.