Throwback Thursday: Jaguar XK120: The World’s First Supercar

The XK120 was launched in open auto or (US) roadster kind at the 1948 London Motor Show as a testbed and show automotive for the new Jaguar XK engine. The show automotive was the primary example, chassis range 660001. It looked nearly a dead ringer for the assembly cars except that the straight outer pillars of its screen would be sinusoidal on the assembly version. The roadster caused a sensation, that persuaded Jaguar founder and style boss William Lyons to place it into production.

Beginning in 1948, the primary 242 cars wore wood-framed open 2-seater bodies with metal panels. Production switched to the 1cwt or 112 pound (51 kg) heavier all-steel in early 1950. The "120" within the name said the metal car's one hundred twenty mph (193 km/h) prime speed (faster with the screen removed), that created it the world's quickest production automotive at the time of its launch. In 1949 the primary production roadster, chassis range 670003, was delivered to histrion.
The XK120 was ultimately obtainable in 2 open versions, 1st as associate open 2-seater delineated within the United States of America market because the roadster (and selected OTS, for open auto, outside America), then additionally as a drophead coupé (DHC) from 1953; and additionally as a closed, or fixed head coupé (FHC) from 1951.

A smaller-engined version with a 2-litre 4 cylinder engine, designated the XK100, intended for the UK market was cancelled prior to production.

On 30 May 1949, on the empty Ostend-Jabbeke motorway in Belgium, a prototype XK120 timed by the officials of the Royal Automobile Club of Belgium achieved an average of runs in opposing directions of 132.6 mph with the windscreen replaced by just one small aero screen and a catalogued alternative top gear ratio, and 135 mph with a passenger-side tonneau cover in place. In 1950 and 1951, at a banked oval track in France, XK120 roadsters averaged over 100 mph for 24 hours and over 130 mph for an hour, and in 1952 a fixed-head coupé took numerous world records for speed and distance when it averaged 100 mph for a week.

Roadsters were also successful in racing and rallying.