1954 Jaguar XK - Open Two Seater

Rumours of a new Jaguar sports car had been circulating for some time when it was unveiled in London at the end of October 1948. After all, its predecessor, the S.S. 100, enjoyed a fine reputation, and people were expecting Jaguar to produce a successor. The XK 120 unveiled in London was already fitted with the new inline six-cylinder engine at the front, which was to remain a staple of Jaguar’s range for decades to come. It was estimated that around 200 XK 120s would be sold, not least to test the new engine. However, demand proved to be significantly higher than expected – in fact, 12'055 units were produced by 1954. And there were understandable reasons for this. At the heart of the new sports car was the 3.4-litre engine with two overhead camshafts and two SU carburettors. The engine produced 160 hp at 5'200 rpm. The inclined valves were housed in an aluminium cylinder head, whilst the camshafts were driven by chains. Power was transmitted to the rear axle via a four-speed gearbox. What caught the attention of visitors to the motor show more than the engine, however, was the utterly ravishing bodywork, which had been designed in great haste for the sports car. The prototypes, as well as the first 200 or so production models, were clad in aluminium panels over an ash wood frame; later, primarily for reasons of cost and production capacity, the manufacturer switched to an all-steel body, which, however, differed little in appearance from its predecessor. The Jaguar XK 120 Roadster offered here was first registered in the USA in 1954, from where it was imported to Switzerland from South Carolina in the early 1990s. Following registration in early 1994, the handsome roadster went to a dentist in the Solothurn area, from whom it passed to its last owner in the autumn of 1995. This owner used the Jaguar very little – the available documentation suggests that just around 4'000 miles have been covered since 1989 – and kept it parked in his collection for most of the time. At the end of 2018, a partial restoration was carried out by Fritz Koller Garage, which specializes in British cars, during which the engine was overhauled. Unfortunately, there is no written evidence of this, but the work can be verified on the basis of photographic documentation. Since then, the XK has hardly been driven at all and therefore certainly requires a general inspection and a thorough service. The car is in good overall condition; the engine runs well and the gearbox shifts correctly. The last veteran MOT took place in May 2024.