Launched at the 1948 Earls Court Motor Show, the Jaguar XK120 Roadster caused a sensation. Penned by Sir William Lyons, the model’s sensuous lines seemed almost impossibly glamorous to a country still feeling the effects of rationing. While the 120mph top speed that its name signified soon became the stuff of legend. Credited with 160bhp and 190lbft of torque in standard tune, its legendary 3442cc DOHC straight-six engine was allied to a four-speed manual transmission. In 1951, the ‘SE’ spec was introduced. Jaguar took what they had learned from their success with the XK120 and ‘C’-Type in racing and rallying and applied it to the road-going XKs. Power was increased from 160bhp to 180bhp and wire wheels were added to provide better cooling for the drum brakes.

For many the best looking XK120 variant, the graceful Fixedhead Coupe as offered here was introduced in July 1951. A true design classic originally aimed predominately at the American market – some 2485 of the 2680 examples produced were to left-hand drive specification. This matching numbers example (with Heritage Certificate to confirm) was imported from the USA by the current owner in 2021 after sourcing the car in Connecticut with the help of the Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust. Being a Special Equipment model, the engine develops some 180 bhp as opposed to the standard 160 bhp. Finished in triple black, the car has been tastefully upgraded with front disc brakes and bonnet louvres and sits on original wire wheels as per SE specification. Much loved and regularly exercised by the vendor, it is said to drive beautifully with the original engine and gearbox still performing well. Considerable attention has been paid to make the car feel tighter and more responsive on the road along with suspension overhauls and tuning.