Jaguar XK120 XK 120 Roadster

Jaguar XK 120 OTS
 
Initially produced as roadster only, the XK120 featured a split windscreen, cut-down
doors, canvas roof and detachable sidescreens. When removed, the roof and side screens
were stored behind the seats.
There were no exterior door handles; entry was made via a pull-cord. When the top and
sidescreens were
on, the pull-cords were accessed through a flap in the sidescreens.
With intentions of making just a few hundred cars, the first run of Jaguar XK120's
were aluminum-bodied, but overwhelming demand quickly prompted the switch to pressed
steel. In May 1950, the first predominantly steel bodied XK120 rolled off the
production line. Only the hood, doors and trunk remained aluminium.
Chassis and Suspension
Borrowed from Jaguar's big sedans, the modified frame was actually sturdier than needed, making
the XK heavier than other sports cars of the day. Riding on 16" x 6" tires, the
chassis featured torsion-bar independent front suspension with ball joints, and semi-elliptic leaf
springs in the rear. The car was narrow, tracking 51 inches at the front and 50 inches in the rear.
 
DOHC Motor
Described by many as "jewel-like", the dual overhead cam motor was built under direction
of William Heynes. The under-square 3.4 litre size was derived by an 83 mm bore by 106 mm stroke.
Underneath the polished valve covers were a pair of chain-driven camshafts, which sat atop
an aluminum-alloy head. Hemispherical-shaped combustion chambers allowed
use of larger valves. Induction was supplied by a pair of SU H6 sidedraft carburetors.
When fitted with domed cast-aluminum pistons, engine compression ratio
was 8.0:1. In this configuration, peak output was 160 horsepower with
195 lb/fts of torque. For some markets, the compression ratio was dropped to 7.0:1. This was
due to the fact that only 70 octane fuel was available in some post WW2 countries.
 

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For further informations , please contact us +32 (0)2 681 81 00 & sales@british-sportscars.com
 
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