Manufactured in August 1950, this XK120 Roadster is one of the earliest XK’s built in steel after the factory moved away from aluminium over an ash frame. Notable features indicating this as an early car include the separate chrome side lights, the lack of wing vents, the early ‘studless’ cam cover engine and tall carburettor dashpots. Built at the Browns Lane Jaguar factory in Coventry, the accompanying letter from Jaguar Heritage confirms that the car was sold directly and shipped to Brylaw Motors of Melbourne, Australia. The car remained in Australia up until the late 1980’s when the owner, a Mr. Hall shipped the car back to the UK when his job for Coca-Cola took him from the South Pacific region to Europe. He later went on to become Vice President of Coca-Cola in Europe and presumably, this influenced the decision to move.
The car boasts an impressive specification including a five-speed gearbox, telescopic shock absorber upgrade, polyurethane suspension bushes, aluminium fuel tank, electric Kenlow cooling fan, adjustable electric power steering, aluminium sports bucket seats, Brooklands wind deflectors, recessed Monza style fuel filler cap, bonnet strap and bonnet louvres. To add to all this, the car has also benefitted from recently being repainted to a high level in British Racing Green and re-trimmed in tan leather. The Roadster version of the beautiful XK120 has always been the most coveted of the XK120 line up and to find such an early car with subtle, but practical modifications is a rare find.