The Jaguar XK120: a celebrated race car, a B-road hero, a suave boulevardier, and – most importantly of all – surely one of the most beautiful automobiles ever crafted. The one we have here is a very well-known example which has long been owned by a titled XK enthusiast and friend of Sir Stirling Moss, who apparently very much admired this particular car and its impressive suite of sympathetic upgrades. 

Jaguar’s highly successful C-Type racer is motorsport royalty, and you can see why XK owners would desire a little of that stardust. This particular XK120 sports a C-Type cylinder head, C-Type side-exit exhaust system and a variety of other race-bred upgrades that turn it into a very entertaining car indeed to drive – the lightweight Aston Martin wire wheels wear Dunlop Racing tyres, the engine has been treated to high-lift cams and 2” SU carbs along with a lightweight flywheel, and it’s all wrapped up in a beautifully restored body. 

The no-expense-spared resto and mechanical upgrade was carried out by marque specialist Julian Thorogood, including a new leather interior, soft top, chrome, the works. No stone was left unturned, and the results are mesmerising. 

 

 
 

The body of this Jaguar is extremely well presented, having enjoyed a full restoration – as extensively documented in the history file. You can see in the photographs that all the shutlines are even and the panels straight, and we can confirm that everything opens freely and closes with a pleasing ‘thunk’. Black can be an unforgiving choice for paint, but there are no such concerns here as it simply serves to highlight how impressively straight all the panels are. 

Being a Roadster model, the soft-top hood is obscured in a cubby behind the seats (with separate door panes secreted in the boot), and this has all been replaced – it’s a quality hood that’s simple to raise, latch and lower. 
All of the chrome is in good order, as are the light lenses and window glass. The wire wheels are larger and lighter Aston Martin race-spec items, wearing Dunlop Racing tyres which give the Jaguar a lot of road presence – as do the quick-release aluminium racing filler cap and lightweight louvred aluminium bonnet. 

This interior is beautifully presented, having been retrimmed in lipstick-red leather. The trim is in superb condition throughout - from the seats to the carpets and doorcards, it’s all tip-top quality. Inside the boot it’s also been retrimmed and is very tidy, with a matching spare wire wheel. 

 

 

The jewel-like engine is this car’s party piece. Fully rebuilt to fast-road spec during the restoration (around 3,000 miles ago), the 3.8-litre straight-six was treated to 2” SU carbs, high-lift cams, a C-Type manifold and side-exit exhaust system, larger exhaust valves, electronic ignition, a Kenlowe fan and a Mocal oil cooler. 

The Moss gearbox was rebuilt, the brakes converted to discs all round, and the handling augmented with Harvey Bailey suspension and anti-roll bar. It makes for a highly impressive package, and you can take our word for it that this car is a dream to drive – a proper Jekyll-and-Hyde creation, which is happy to amble around town in stop-start traffic without hunting for idle or overheating, and yet when you open the taps it transforms into something other-worldly. 

The lightweight flywheel allows it to rev unbelievably quickly, the sonorous bark from the side-pipes is intoxicating, and the race tyres and large-diameter steering wheel make for a hugely involving drive. Genuinely laugh-out-loud brilliant, and thoroughly addictive.  

 

The appeal of an XK120 in 2024 is clear. While there’s always been an arms-race among manufacturers to claim the biggest numbers, the highest horsepower figures, the greatest top speed, there’s a select list of all-time greats which will forever be regarded as legends. The XK120 is one such creation. The fastest car in the world when it was launched? That’s kudos which will never erode. 

All XK120s are special, but this one is more special than most. With a stunning restoration, an incredible upgraded specification, a fascinating history and the admiration of Sir Stirling Moss himself, there surely can’t be a more exciting and desirable XK120 Roadster on the market today.

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