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Jaguar XK120 - A Brief History |
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The
Jaguar XK120 Roadster was launched at the 1948 Earls
Court Motor Show and was an immediate success. This
very stylish car had a top speed over 120 mph (hence
the 120 name), and was tremendously good value for money
being considerably cheaper and more advanced than any
rival. It was the fist car to feature the all-new
double overhead camshaft engine, which in one cubic capacity
or another went on to power all Jaguar cars - both saloon
and sports, for about forty years. The XK 120 was hugely popular
and orders were much higher than Jaguar had anticipated.
The first cars featured alloy body panels over an ash
frame, but after production of about 200 models jaguar
switched to a mass-produced mainly steel body to keep
up with demand. In 1951 a Fixed Head Coupe version was
introduced, with a Drophead Coupe joining the range
in 1953. Both of these cars featured wind-up windows,
external door handles, and a walnut dashboard. A Special
Equipment model was available from 1951 with a 180 bhp
engine. Production of all models ended in 1954 when
the XK140 was introduced.
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Specifications |
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Roadster |
Drophead Coupe |
Fixed head Coupe |
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1948 - 1954 |
1953 - 1954 |
1951 - 1954 |
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Steel body on separate chassis (early roadster had alloy body panels) |
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14ft 5in |
14ft 5in |
14ft 5in |
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5ft 1in |
5ft 1in |
5ft 1in |
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25.5cwt |
27.5cwt |
27cwt |
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6 cylinder twin overhead camshaft 3442cc inline |
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160 bhp @ 5100 rpm |
160 bhp @ 5100 rpm |
160 bhp @ 5100 rpm |
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195lb ft @ 2500 rpm |
195lb ft @ 2500 rpm |
195lb ft @ 2500 rpm |
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4 speed, synchro on 2nd, 3rd and top |
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Rear |
Rear |
Rear |
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Drums front and rear |
Drums front and rear |
Drums front and rear |
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Independent by torsion bar & wishbone, anti-roll bar |
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Live axle / leaf spring |
Live axle / leaf spring |
Live axle / leaf spring |
Model
Performance |
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Roadster |
Drophead Coupe |
Fixed Head Coupe |
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125 mph |
120 mph |
122 mph |
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10 seconds |
12 seconds |
12 seconds |
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22 mpg |
22 mpg |
22 mpg |
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Jaguar XK120 Roadster |
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Useful Links |
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Photographs on this page courtesy of Practical Classics magazine
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