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1951 Jaguar XK120 Roadster

Asking Price: £124,950

1951 Jaguar XK120 Roadster 3.8 Alloy Body

Registration Number: 919 UYP

Chassis Number: 679035

The Jaguar XK120 has and always will have huge appeal to many. Since production began some seventy four years ago, the enjoyment offered in its original mechanical state isn't questioned, they are fantastic cars. However just sometimes you may be lead to conjuring up a ‘wish list’ of sorts in order to make your XK as exciting and useable today as it no doubt was to its first owner in period.

Today that ‘wish list’ would likely include:

• Disc brakes all round, including three pot calipers for the front. 

• Adjustable telescopic shock absorbers that can cope with all roads and give you the ride that you expect, plus a set of outside-laced chrome wire wheels shod with Blockley radial tyres. 

• To provide the handling and ‘feel’ that you would like the car would be fitted with an uprated ‘Broad Sport’ anti-roll bar, and the suspension would be ‘poly-bushed’ all round. 

• And to accommodate all drivers it would be nice to have an adjustable steering column, like that of the later XK150. 

• And speaking of drivers, a pedal box conversion is a must.

• Of course you would want to cruise with ease at high speeds so you would probably opt for an XK150 rear axle with a 3.03 axle ratio. 

• Speaking of high speeds, why not also opt for a five speed gearbox. 

• In fact the above specifcation is so good that you might find yourself aching for even more power, so why not opt for the larger 3.8 litre engine, which gives more power and increased torque, in lieu of the original 3.4. And whilst you are deciding on the spec of the engine it would be a good idea to add 2 inch HD Carburettors for yet more power.

• At this point your ideal specification is becoming really quite serious so that now you focus on items that are not immediately apparent but are important for reliability and long term maintenance, such as a Kenlowe electric fan and oil cooler for those hot summer days, an alternator instead of the original dynamo, a new aluminium fuel tank that won’t rust, and a stainless steel dual exhaust system.

• And still on the topic of reliability why not insist on a new wiring loom and a re-cored radiator?

• After working through all of the above you then could have the pleasure of adding those personal touches that will make your 120 even more special, such as the leather bonnet straps, the Monza petrol filler, seat belts, a tonneau cover in mohair and a pair of original Lucas 7” spot lights. 

• And it is precisely at this point that you hear about the aluminium-bodied cars, the first 240 that Jaguar manufactured in 1949, and wonder why not have your car the same. Being alloy it should be lighter and therefore faster and handle better, it won’t rust, and hopefully will cost less than the £275-300,000 price that the average Factory aluminium car now commands in the market. Expensive yes, but you decide that it is definitely worth having the car bodied in aluminium, and whilst the body is being made you opt for louvres on the bonnet.

• Then someone really knowledgeable of the marque asks whether you prefer the early 120’s with the discreetly-placed chrome side lights on top of the wings, or the later cars where the lights are built in? 

After this careful analysis and thought you are determined that a car with this specification should also have gone through a meticulous chassis-up restoration, which is when you learn that it will cost upwards of £200,000 and generally take years to complete given that the XK specialists you would trust already have their hands full.

Which brings us to 919 UYP, the result of two years dedication by a Jaguar specialist using an XK120 donor car and this ‘wish list’. 

An outstanding example in all regards, and by a margin the most potent driver focused XK120 I’ve driven to date. 

Offered for sale in the oh so perfect colour combination of dark green over beige & tan upholstery.