Classic Cars - Jaguar XK120

The Jaguar XK120 was first revealed to the public atfeatured in the box office hit Cruel Intentions, driven
the London Motor Show in 1948, and it reinventedby Ryan Phillippe & Reese Witherspoon.
the world of sports cars by providing a car withThe XK120 was the creation of Sir William Lyons, aka
elegant curves, a fantastic chassis, and a remarkable"Mr. Jaguar", and was powered by the 3442cc power
price. It became the fastest production car at theplant dubbed the XK engine, generating 160bhp, and
time of launch, and was rivalled only by the V12the XK120 is so named as its top speed tipped
Ferrari which was 4 times the price.120mph. As expected it was a success on the track
This proved to be an unbeatable combination, andand was driven by some of motor sports biggest
became a milestone for Jaguar whilst reviving thelegends such as Stirling Moss and Ian Appleyard, and
motor industry with much fanfare after the war.helped Jaguar win the Le Mans title on several
Interestingly, the XK120 was only really designed asoccasions.
test bed with which to show off the XK engine, butThere are still a large number in circulation today,
with orders flooding in Jaguar wasted no time andlooking as they did when they first rolled off the
put the car into full production. Several versions wereproduction lines thanks to being a favourite amongst
eventually released, with the Roadster version beingclassic car enthusiasts and being lovingly restored. If
a hit amongst Hollywood stars like Clark Gable. It isyou are interested in purchasing one, expect to pay
still a design classic today, and in 1999 the carin excess of £70000 for a prime example.