Lot Ended
Description
Fully restored with various choice upgrades including
5-speed Broad Sport gearbox, Fosseway disc brakes, Turrino lightweight
wheels and various alloy body panels; an outstanding example in all
departments
‘One of the
nicest we have seen’ is a cliché often deployed in auction catalogues but in the
case of this magnificent machine it is actually an understatement – this is by
far the best XK120 Roadster we have ever seen. No wonder it set a new UK auction
record for a standard road-going example when we sold it to the current owner in
the summer of 2022. Just look at it!
One of only
7,614 XK120 Roadsters made between 1948 and October 1954, it comes with a
Heritage Certificate showing that it left the Browns Lane factory in March 1954.
As with all but 1,176 examples, it was a LHD model destined for Jaguar
dealership Hoffman of California and was originally finished in Cream with a red
interior and a Sand soft top.
Imported back to
the UK in the 1990s and registered here as CAS 474, it was acquired by the
previous owner in 1999 to join his impressive Jaguar collection. Aided by a
friend who was a retired motor engineer, he set about a total nut-and-bolt
restoration which was to take over five years to complete and
resulted in the magnificent specimen you see today.
The full extent of the work carried out is far too detailed to list
in full here but is amply covered in many invoices on file. It included various
choice upgrades to make the car into a fast and reliable tourer and the
attention to detail is superb.
The bodywork was entrusted to Hightone
Restorations of Enstone and included the special green paintwork (similar to
Aston Martin Sage Green) which cost over £9,700 in labour alone, another £7,800
being spent on panels including new alloy doors and boot lid. The brightwork was
completely renewed or refurbished too – all this work being done 25 years ago so
you can imagine how much more it would cost today. Hightone certainly did a
fantastic job and the bodywork still looks wonderful over two decades later.
The original 3.4 engine was found to be in excellent condition and
needed nothing more than new gaskets and a rebuilt cylinder head with new
valves, valve seats and springs, camshaft bearings etc. Electronic ignition was
also fitted along with race HT leads, alloy radiator expansion tank and all new
ancillaries as required.
The original Moss gearbox was ditched in favour
of a Broad Sport 5-speed Cosworth box which cost £1,845. The propshaft and axle
were rebuilt, along with the steering (now RHD) and suspension with Spax shock
absorbers. The front brakes were converted from drum to disc using an upgrade
kit supplied by Fosseway Way Performance which cost £1,544. A Bell stainless
steel exhaust system was also fitted.
The wheels were hand-built by
Turrino Wire Wheels at a cost of £2,444 with alloy rims, stainless steel spokes
and chrome centres. These are typically around 4kg lighter than steel
equivalents, giving a total weight saving of around 16kg which has the same
effect on acceleration as lightening the car by 80kg-160kg due to the reduced
rotational moment of inertia. Mighty fine they look too.
The interior
was retrimmed in the finest Connolly hide by ex-Brown’s Lane trimmer Mick Turley
of Suffolk & Turley fame; even the door cards are leather. All the
instruments were rebuilt by Vintage Restorations of Tunbridge Wells, including
the lovely Jaeger 8 days clock, and a new hood, side screens and tonneau
cover were also fitted.
The previous owner did several thousand miles in
the car, including three trips to the Le Mans Classic, a tour round
Germany and regular visits to Goodwood. It was then left on static display
in his collection for a number of years due to his declining
health.
As previously mentioned, our vendor, only
the second UK owner, acquired the car via Brightwells in 2022 for substantially
more than the guide price suggested here. He promptly sent the car to Jaguar
specialists Smallman Hall of Bridgnorth for a thorough recommissioning which
cost £6,800 and included a new set of radial tyres; new ball joints; new clutch
kit and flywheel; new seat belts; electric windscreen washer conversion; major
service and tune-up plus various other items.
Smallman Hall subsequently serviced the car again in July 2023 and
again in April 2024, the carbs also being rebuilt in November 2024. Our vendor
has used the car regularly, covering some 2,500 fine weather miles and reports
that it drives as well as it looks, although he advises that the rev counter
cable has been disconnected because it was making an irritating whining noise
which he did not get round to sorting in time for the sale.
Starting promptly and running beautifully as we have moved it around
on site, with healthy oil pressure and a pleasingly gruff exhaust note, it has
an MOT until April 2026 with just a couple of minor advisories relating to the
handbrake. A copy of an original 270-page factory workshop manual is also
present.
A gorgeous car in a lovely colour
scheme, this judiciously uprated XK120 will turn heads wherever it goes and will
bring a great deal of pleasure to the fortunate new owner. It is only
reluctantly for sale because our vendor is mid-way through building a new house
and the costs have escalated alarmingly due to the current economic situation
which has seen building materials rocket in price...
Consigned by James Dennison – 07970 309907 – james.dennison@brightwells.com