Jaguar's Great Leap Forward

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The Jaguar XK120 marks the beginning of perhaps the most famous dynasty of post-war sports cars. It's difficult to comprehend quite what an impact the car had when it was revealed to a war-weary public at the Earl's Court Motor Show in 1948. Underneath its dramatically beautiful skin was Jaguar's advanced new 3442cc, twin overhead camshaft inline six-cylinder engine, designated XK, which gave the new model half its name; the three digits that followed were a reference to the car's top speed – a remarkable figure for the time. In 1949 the XK120 officially claimed the title of World's Fastest Production Car when a modified roadster was timed at 132.6mph.

For the true connoisseur, the jewel in the crown of the XK range is the small series of aluminium-bodied 120s built before production really got underway in 1949. These early cars are the purest three-dimensional representation of that famous shape, especially when fitted with the steel wheels and spats that are essential to show off those feline curves at their best.

There are numerous characteristics in the look and feel of these 242 early examples that set them apart from their later brethren, not least the weight difference – with its traditional ash frame, the alloy XKs are actually some 40lb heavier than their steel-bodied successors. If you want to know what its like to drive you'll have to read the April issue of The Automobile magazine, who were lucky enough to get behind the wheel of the perfectly preserved, unrestored example you see here. It's in shops now, or can be ordered directly from their website.

(Photographs by Stefan Marjoram)

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