1953 JAGUAR XK120 Roadster Serial number 673869 Collector's... Lot 43

1953 JAGUAR XK120 Roadster Serial number 673869 Collector's registration On October 27, 1948, England's first post-war Motor Show opened its doors at Earls Court in London. No one was prepared for the shock when the brand-new, revolutionary XK 120 was unveiled on the Jaguar stand. Sir William Lyons had just set the bar very high, as far as sports and production cars were concerned. 60 years later, we still look back on the roadster's superb lines and listen with the same pleasure to the roar of that fabulous XK engine. With 6 cylinders and 2 overhead camshafts, this sculpture on wheels is equipped with a true sports engine. This made it one of the fastest production cars of its time, if not the fastest. The roadster went into production in 1949, and demand was instantaneous. The example shown was delivered new to Los Angeles on April 9, 1953, in pastel blue and fitted with its current engine. In 2010, it was acquired by its first French owner in Belgium, who undertook extensive mechanical refurbishment work on the car, as confirmed by its invoice file. The current owner acquired the car in 2014. Wishing to improve the use of his car, a modernization project was undertaken. An electric fan, electronic ignition and 5-speed Gertrag gearbox were installed. Thanks to these modifications, the XK120 is a pleasure to drive, as our test drive confirmed. This is a great opportunity for any British roadster enthusiast. 1953 JAGUAR XK120 Roadster Serial number 673869 Collector's registration On 27 October 1948, England's first post-war Motor Show opened its doors at Earls Court in London. Nobody was prepared for the shock of seeing the revolutionary new XK 120 on the Jaguar stand. Sir William Lyons had just set the bar very high, as far as sports and production cars were concerned. 60 years later, we still look back at the superb lines of the roadster and listen with the same pleasure to the blare of that fabulous XK engine. With 6 cylinders and 2 overhead camshafts, this sculpture on wheels was equipped with a genuine sports engine. This made it one of the fastest production cars of its day, if not the fastest. The roadster went into production in 1949 and demand was instantaneous. The car was delivered new to Los Angeles on 9 April 1953 in pastel blue and fitted with its current engine. The car was then traced back to Belgium in 2010, when it was acquired by its first French owner, who undertook extensive mechanical refurbishment work on the car, as confirmed by its invoice file. Its current owner acquired it in 2014. Wishing to improve the use of his car, a modernisation project was undertaken. An electric fan, an electronic ignition and a 5-speed Gertrag gearbox were installed. Thanks to these modifications, the XK120 is a pleasure to drive, as confirmed by our test drive. This is a great opportunity for any British roadster enthusiast.