Jaguar XK120C (1953)

The Jaguar XK120 was a sports car manufactured by Jaguar Cars between 1949 and 1954. It was the first post-war sports car from the marque, succeeding the SS100 which ended production in 1940 with the start of the war in Britain. The XK120 was launched at the 1948 London Motor Show as a test bed and show vehicle to highlight the new Jaguar XK engine. The sudden popularity of the car persuaded William Lyons to put the car into production as a standard model.

Power came from a dual overhead cam 3.4 L straight-6 engine, Jaguar's famous XK engine. This same basic design of the XK engine was used in 3.8L and 4.2L versions into the late 1980's.

The XK120 name referred to the vehicle's impressive 120 mph (193 km/h) top speed. At the time of its launch it was the world's fastest standard production car. It was available as a coupe (FHC or Fixed Head Coupe), convertible (DHC or Drop Head Coupe), or roadster (OTS or Open Top Sports). The OTS or Roadster had a very light weight canvas top and removable side curtains. The DHC or Drop Head Coupe had a padded top and roll up windows. Both the FHC and DHC had an elegant wood veneer dash.

// Extracted from Wikipedia (see full text clicking here)//

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