1952 Jaguar XK 120 SE Fixed Head Coupe
Designed by William Lyons himself (reportedly without putting pencil to paper), the XK120 caused a sensation at its 1948 Earls Court debut that persuaded Jaguar to put what had originally been an engine testbed straight into production.
Its claimed 120 mph top speed made it the world’s fastest production car at the time of launch, a figure confirmed in timed testing shortly after introduction.
The Fixed Head Coupe followed in 1951, more luxuriously appointed than the open car with wind-up windows and wood veneers on the dashboard and door cappings. Approximately 2,675 were built through 1954.
The long, tapering roofline and recessed rear wheel spats gave the closed body a visual cohesion that many consider the most successful of the three XK120 variants.
The 3,442cc (3.4 liter) twin-overhead-camshaft inline six ran a seven-main-bearing crankshaft with an aluminum cylinder head and, in standard form, produced 160 horsepower through twin SU carburetors.
The Special Equipment (SE) version added high-lift camshafts, stiffer valve springs, a dual exhaust, and wire wheels, lifting output to 180 horsepower.
The chassis carried independent front suspension by wishbones and torsion bars, a live rear axle on semi-elliptic leaf springs, and hydraulic drum brakes at all four corners.
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