1950 Jaguar XK120 Roadster

History

Originally finished in Pastel Blue, the Jaguar was completed at the Holbrook Lane factory in Coventry on April 13, 1950, and shipped to Max Hoffman’s Jaguar distributorship in Manhattan. It is one of just 12,055 XK120 Jaguars produced from 1948 through 1954.

The Jaguar’s prior owner for 35 years reports that this XK120 Roadster has racing history going back to the 1960s with Paul Sanborn and Janet Guthrie. Guthrie would leverage her aerospace engineering background, and early experience gained racing Jaguar XKs, to later become the first woman to qualify and compete in the Indianapolis 500 and the Daytona 500. She also achieved two class wins in the 12 Hours of Sebring.

During the 1960s Paul Sanborn reportedly raced the Jaguar with considerable success, including pole positions and outright wins, in the eastern U.S. In 1967, Sanborn and Guthrie teamed up to race the Jaguar at Watkins Glen. Earlier that same year Guthrie raced a Jaguar to 7th overall at the SCCA National race at Virginia. This could well be the same D-Production Jaguar. Notably Guthrie began 1967 at the 24 Hours of Daytona where she started 50th and brought her Mustang home 20th overall.  So it was with considerable buzz that she was racing the Jaguar with Sanborn later that same season. To see some period photos of Guthrie racing an XK120, perhaps this XK120, please visit FB Glory Days of Racing, and SCCA Hall of Fame

At some point the Jaguar was retired from racing and stored away in a barn (see photos below). Thereafter it was resurrected and restored for historic racing in the 1990s. During the 1990s the car accumulated three log books of races, including at Sebring, Moroso, and Homestead. 

Based upon the log books and the tech stickers on the car, it appeares the Jaguar last raced in 2006. It was an SVRA race at Sebring. Thereafter it seems the car sat dormant until the owner passed away. In 2021, the Jaguar was sold by the owner’s widow on BringATrailer.  

Since then the car has been the subject of an extensive refurbishment performed by a professional race shop. Photos of those recent receipts are below, and total over $50,000.  The Jaguar is now truly ready to provide its next owner excellent service both on and off the race track.  

Description

The Jaguar’s power is provided from its race-prepared 3.8-liter DOHC inline-six engine. The engine components are said to include 13-1 Venolia pistons and PR cams. The head was also flowed. The exhaust runs through a tuned exhaust system. The engine is cooled by both an electric fan as well as an oil cooler. The 3.8 engine produces approximately 330 h.p. at 6800 RPM, but will rev to 7500. It is also noteworthy that the engine has been lowered and moved back with solid mounts to improve handling.

The engine is mated to an XK150S four speed gearbox with mechanical overdrive. This is an exceptionally nice feature which allows you to road race competitively at both short and long circuits without having to change gears. 

Braking is handled at all four wheels by XK150S Dunlop disc brakes. These were rebuilt by Apply Hydraulics. While the production XK120 cars initially came with drum brakes, the XK120 has a pioneering history with the development, and later use of drum brakes. 

In the early 1950s Jaguar collaborated with Dunlop to develop disc brake technology in motorsport. It was an XK120 test mule that was used to test the early Dunlop disc brake system. Importantly, Stirling Moss drove a disc-brake-equipped XK120 to a 2nd finish in the 1952 Mille Miglia, helping to demonstrate the viability of the new braking technology. As a result, many XK120 cars were retrofitted in period with disc brakes, most notably for events like Le Mans or the Mille Miglia. 

Fun fact: The famed C-Type Jaguar (known internally as the XK120C) was an evolution of the XK120. The XK120 provided Jaguar the R&D during the running of the 1950 Le Mans race to develop the XK120C to be the following year’s 24 Hour winning Jaguar C-Type. 

The Jaguar is equipped with rebuilt rear leaf spring assemblies, new Koni shocks, steel wheels, and Dunlop 6.00L 16 tires. A larger front sway bar has been installed. A new roll bar system has been employed as well to increase the car’s safety, structural rigidity, and performance. A new Fuelsafe fuel cell was installed in 2022 along with a new fire extinguisher in 2025. 

The car is equipped with a Brooklands style windscreen, Raydot mirrors, a competition racing seat, and a Moto-Lita steering wheel. The cockpit is trimmed in burgundy upholstery with matching dash and door panels. Instrumentation includes a VDO tachometer, factory-style speedometer (120 mph, of course), and a suite of auxiliary gauges. 

This XK120 will come with considerable documentation, including:

• Multiple logbooks
• Engine build records
• Period photographs and  correspondence
• Recent receipts totaling over $50,000
• A clean Florida title

The Jaguar also comes with a vast amount of spares. These include very significant items, including a correct original XK120 3.4 liter core engine. Also included are an additional gearbox, rearend, wire wheels, hubs, many more engine and other mechanical parts, etc. Please see the parts in the photos below.

Note: please also review photos of the recent work receipts shown below. These receipts total more than $50,0000 in work performed on the Jaguar since its purchase in 2021. Note also that the photos posted of the car thus far only reflect the car in the condition it was in when purchased in 2021, not its current condition. We will post updated photos as soon as they are available. 

The 2021-25 receipts cover the following work, plus considerably more:

1. New Apple Hydraulic rebuilt rear disc brake calipers 
2. Castor, camber, and bump steer 
3. Four speed transmission rebuild, and overdrive unit rebuild
4. Rebuild carburetors
5. Rebuilt and rebush suspension components front and rear
6. Install new brake lines
7. New clutch/pressure plate assembly and resurfaced flywheel
8. New front and rear brake rotors
9. Rebuilt differential to racing specs
10. New front brake rotor assemblies installed
11. New fire extinguisher installed 2025
12. Rebuilt steering box and pitman arm
13. New fuel cell installed 2022
14. Rebuilt rear leaf spring assemblies

This XK120 is an ideal candidate for vintage racing events with SVRA, HSR, SOVREN, CSRG, VARA, CVAR, VSCDA, VSCCA, you name it. The car is also eligible for the very popular Del Monte Trophy Group, which races from the Monterey Reunion all the way to the Lime Rock Vintage Festival in Connecticut. This car was very successful in period, and is now professionally prepared to a high level to continue that success and enjoyment in historic racing.

All vehicle descriptions are accurate to the best of our knowledge at the time of writing. Corrections, and supplemental information, are always welcome. Buyers are responsible for confirming vehicle histories, condition, and authenticity to their own satisfaction prior to purchase. Motorsports Market is not the owner of the vehicle and assumes no liability for errors and omissions.

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Photos

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