1954 Jaguar XK-120 3.4 SE FHC

During the Second World War, William Lyons and his staff designed what would be the world’s first high-volume twin cam engine. After the war, a short wheelbase chassis and a two-seat sports body were married to this new engine and when the XK 120 was introduced at the 1948 Earl’s Court Motor Show. The XK 120’s body was a fresh, minimalist design with gracefully flowing curves running front to back, while the modern chassis design provided excellent handling. The XK inline six-cylinder engine, originally producing 160 horsepower, was mated with a four-speed manual transmission, and provided phenomenal performance. The XK 120 earned its name from when Jaguar was racing their cars. The car reached 120 mph! The XK 120 Coupe introduced in March 1951, added a steel roof, roll-up windows and a wood-trimmed interior, air vents, glove compartments, map containers in the door, sun visors, interior lights and foot-well vents. The faired-in front parking lights can be clearly seen. The rakish slant of the window frame adds to the sporting appearance. The engine and drive train were similar throughout the line and no distinct modifications were employed on the FHC.