1949 Jaguar XK120 Roadster #1
I ts twin-cam inline six-cylinder engine made the XK120 the world’s fastest production car at that time and one of the most celebrated classics of all time – quite an accomplishment for Jaguar. Surprisingly perhaps, that same 3.4 liter engine survived well into the ‘90s and powered everything from racing cars to tanks.
Few cars in that period could even come close to the XK120’s top speed – 120 mph, of course, which enabled Jaguar to win an assortment of race wins, all of which helped to build popularity and sell automobiles.
Ironically, the XK120 was not intended for mass production. Rather, it was a test bed for Jaguar’s new engine! However, people fell in love with the lines of the new car. The two-seater, especially in roadster form, was elegant and appetizing, especially when it was introduced following World War II. Who would have imagined that this car would help catapult the British auto industry?
The XK120 also firmly planted Jaguar’s roots in racing, which led to the development of such incredible machines as the Jaguar C type and D type race cars. –Larry Sanata
SPECS:
Price: $100,000
Engine: I-6
Horsepower: 160
Torque: 195 at 2500 rpm
Top Speed: 120 mph
PHOTOS gallery at right.
(Images courtesy of Mike Cook at the Jaguar North American Archives, Steve Kennedy and the Walter Hill collection.)
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