1953 Jaguar XK 120

West Coast Classics are proud to present an absolutely exceptional and very rare and professionally frame off restored example of this coveted and highly desirable 1953 Jaguar XK 120 Drop Head Coupe Left Hand Drive U.S. delivery model which was the beneficiary of a frame off restoration in the mid 2000s to as new show ready condition with an already excellent body with no damage history and no rust! This beauty still boasts its original five disc-type steel wheels with original fender spats, aka Fender Skirts (in America!) spare wheel, and its original matching numbers engine as verified by the Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust Certificate. O ne of the rarest XK 120 variants, second only to the alloy-body Roadster. The XK 120 was produced by Jaguar between 1948-54 and caused an absolute sensation when launched and was immediately destined to become one of the most collectible cars of all time. Its name referred to its straight six, 3442 cc 120 mph (193 km/h) top speed (faster with the windscreen removed!) engine which was insanely fast for its day and made the XK120 the worlds fastest standard production car at the time of its launch and a very successful racer which spurred Jaguar onto breaking many world speed records.The roadsters lightweight canvas top stows out of sight behind the seats and its doors have no external handles. The windscreen can be removed if desired! The drophead coupe (DHC) had a padded and lined canvas top, which folded onto the rear deck behind the seats when retracted and roll-up windows and the dashboards and door-caps in both the DHC and the closed coup (FHC) were wood-veneered, whereas the more spartan and lighter roadsters were leather-trimmed. The first 242 XK 120s made had wood-framed open-top aluminum bodies with two seats; Perceiving the design line from the front wheels, over the hood, and to the rear was like watching a rolling wave: smooth, calm, powerful and this design was to set the tone for all post war sports cars and continues to influence to this day, just look at the taper from the hood to the rear on Jaguars 2018 F-Type.Production switched to all-steel construction better for making the cars in volume by 1950. It eventually came in three versions: as an open two-seat roadster (OTS) and later, as a fixed-head coupe (FHC) in 1951 and a drop-head coupe (DHC) in 1953. The XK 120s are more desirable than the later-model XK 140s and 150s, especially the ones designed before 1950 because those had aluminum skins, with racing history examples commanding many millions of dollars, but these days any of the open cars command more money than any coupe. When this stunning model debuted in 1948 at the Earls Court Motor Show in London, England it was the darling of the show and remains today as much of a show stopper as it did then, over sixty-six years later! The car set numerous and now legendary speed records and was the fastest production car in the world in its day and Jaguar used its engine for decades to come. In terms of design, the two-seater roadster with its classically simple flowing lines, slender tail and exotic f