1953 Jaguar XK 120

Theres little arguing the fact that Jaguars XK series is one of the most influential sports cars of the Twentieth Century. After a sensational debut at the London Motor show in 1948, the XK120 became the car to beat for amateur and professional racing drivers alike, especially in the USA.American servicemen with a penchant for adventure fueled a burgeoning amateur motorsports scene, and Jaguars new sports car arrived at the perfect time delivering stellar performance at a reasonable price point. By the early 1950s, many race grids were made up almost entirely of Jaguars.

Of course, the quest for speed saw many Jaguars modified for the track typically by stripping away unnecessary items such as heavy chrome bumpers, tweaking the superb XK engine for more power, and tuning the chassis. Racing in the 1950s was a hotbed of creativity, and in America, ex-servicemen who witnessed first-hand the exotic grand prix and sports racing machinery across Europe and the UK applied that experience to their own racing cars. Some radically modified Jaguars sprouted up, sometimes taking the fight to works machinery. Cars like the Fitch-Whitmore Jaguar Special and Hansgen Jaguar Special found success on the East Coast, and the Jaguar-Parkinson Special raced predominantly on the West Coast. In the UK, HWM Jaguars were often sliding their way to the front of the pack, and Jaguar specials continued to inspire enthusiasts well beyond the 1950s, with a cottage industry cropping up, with cars like the Kougar carrying on the legacy into the modern era.

The spirit of any Jaguar XK special comes from its individuality, evidenced by this striking modern interpretation of the classic theme. Drawing considerable inspiration from the pre-war Delahaye competition cars, this car began life as a late-production 1953 XK120, which was acquired by the builder as complete rolling chassis, sans original body. Seeing it as the ideal blank canvas for a special, the owner commissioned a full restoration of the chassis, and had the car skinned in a svelte torpedo-style alloy body, directly inspired by the 1935 Delahaye 135 S racing car.

The stylish and low-slung bodywork looks as though it has been pulled tight over the chassis and features a Delahaye-style grille flanked by close-set faired-in headlamps and topped with a cloisonne badge. The body tapers to a neat boat-tail treatment at the rear, and cycle fenders in polished alloy contrast beautifully against the French blue bodywork. Evocative period details like stamped louvers, exposed rivets, a folding windscreen, twin Brooklands Aeroscreens, and a contrasting, red-painted chassis further enhance the pre-war aesthetic. Chrome Jaguar wire wheels are held on with three-eared knockoffs and are shod with period-style bias-ply tires.

Inside, theres a pair of bucket seats trimmed in dark blue leather with cream piping, complemented with blue-grey square-weaved carpet, also piped in cream. An engine-turned alloy fascia houses Jaguar-sourced instruments and switchgear. The business of driving is unincumbered in the bare-bones cockpit, with no top or side curtains and just a folding windshield and a pair of Brooklands Aeroscreens for the full wind-in-the-hair, open-cockpit experience.

Jaguars legendary XK engine has powered everything from luxury sedans to Le Mans winners, and its abundant power and snorty character are right at home in this special. The engine number, W5879-8S, denotes this as an XK120 unit displacing 3.4 liters. It is fed by twin SU carburetors with SU pancake filters, and it breathes out through standard porcelain manifolds. The engine bay is well detailed throughout and is topped with period-correct C-Type cam covers. The chassis has been lightened and is suitably updated with telescopic Koni dampers and Wilwood disc brakes on the front axle, offering up ample stopping power.

Combining elements of the powerful and beautiful Delahaye Grand Prix cars of the 1930s with the innovative Jaguar-based racing specials of the 1950s, this evocative and finely crafted XK120 Special will undoubtedly provide many miles of exciting motoring.

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