Description
Pavilion Gardens | Buxton, Derbyshire
Viewing: Tues 20th May from 12pm
Auction: Wed 21st May from 9am
Location: St John's Rd, Buxton SK17 6BE
1952 Jaguar XK120 Roadster
Entered from the Loch Lomond Collection
Estimate
£55, 000 - £65, 000
Registration No: IG 4253
Chassis No: 671921
MOT: Exempt
Previous ownership in America for over 30 years and only one registered UK keeper since importation in 2015
Body-off restoration by Sargent Metalworks of Bradford, Vermont (Pebble Beach Winners) costing some $58, 700 and completed in 1994
Uprated for fast road or Vintage rallying use, complete with a tuned engine and C-Type cylinder head, louvered bonnet, and Le Mans-style fuel filler cap
Entered from the Loch Lomond Collection, a collection made up of excellent examples of predominantly 1950s, 60s, and 70s classics
Launched at the 1948 Earls Court Motor Show, the Jaguar XK120 Roadster caused a sensation. Penned by Sir William Lyons, the model's sensuous lines seemed almost impossibly glamorous to a country still feeling the effects of rationing. While the 120mph top speed that its name signified soon became the stuff of legend. Flooded with orders, Jaguar began limited hand-built production soon thereafter (although, it was not until 1950 that the factory was sufficiently 'tooled-up' to discard aluminium in favour of steel for the curvaceous bodywork). Credited with 160bhp and 190lbft of torque in standard tune, its legendary 3442cc DOHC straight-six engine was allied to a four-speed manual transmission.
Chassis ‘671921’ was manufactured in left-hand drive specification being built on the 25th of February 1952. Distributed new by Max Hoffman, New York, the Jaguars is first known to have been in a state of disrepair by the late-1980s. Understood to have been in long-term ownership thereafter America (for almost 30 years), the XK120 was entrusted by said owner, to the very highly regarded Sargent Metalworks of Bradford, VT, the winners of several awards at the exceptionally prestigious Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance including 'Best in Show' with a 1936 Bugatti Type 57SC, and has an outstanding portfolio of past restoration work which includes numerous Bugattis and a Ferraris (including 250 GTO).
Chassis ‘671921’ thereafter was lavished with a comprehensive body-off restoration by Sargent Metalworks between 1989 and 1994, with the restoration expense reaching some $58, 700, a figure that would be more akin to $100, 000 today! Finished in the attractive colour combination of Dark Green paintwork with a Tan leather interior and a Beige hood, the Jaguar is uprated for ‘fast road’ or Vintage rallying usage, including a tuned engine incorporating a C-Type cylinder head, a louvered bonnet, a Le Mans-style fuel filler cap, and Moto Lita steering wheel to name a few, with it reputed these changes were made with thoughts of use in the Mille Miglia Storica in the previous ownership.
Repatriated to British shores in c. 2015, the XK120 was first registered on United Kingdom roads in September 2015 as ‘IG 4253'. The Jaguar is accompanied by a large history file including Jaguar chassis records, numerous previous invoices from the restoration and since, numerous photographs and records of the restoration works, a service manual, a spare parts catalogue, an operating, maintenance & service handbook, and a current V5C document. Entered from the Loch Lomond Collection, a collection made up of examples of many prestigious 1950s, 60s, and 70s classics, the XK120 has only completed very local excursions while in the collection and therefore a degree of recommissioning might be required before pressing into road use.
** Bidding will take place live at the venue, online via our H&H website, by telephone and commission - T&Cs apply**
Parking and entry into the auction is free for auction attendees with a catalogue, available at the door.
Catalogues can be purchased for £20 (admits 2 people).
