Miguel Sánchez
Conceived as one of the darkest points in all of European history, the Second World War marked a turning point in the timeline of the Old Continent. Thus, its outbreak not only had unquestionable political and demographic consequences but also a turning point in the automotive sector.
Something clearly visible in the current classic collecting, where the section “prewar” appears clearly distinguished from everything after 1940 thanks to a huge number of technical elements responsible for creating a very distinct set.
Something that was helped by the leap forward undertaken by motorsport just after the war. A leap expressed in the bodies -integrating the wheel arches as marked by the Ponton design by Mercedes-, the chassis -with the gradual appearance of more and more models with monocoque after the epiphany of the Lambda in 1923 - and even in manufacturing, where brands previously quasi-artisanal They were acquiring the skills of a modern assembly line.
That said, from the Lancia Aurelia to the Alfa Romeo 1900, the beginning of a new era in European motoring became a fait accompli. A fact to which the Jaguar contributed. XK120 Presented in 1948, it enjoyed - not without suffering from an evidently conservative aesthetic touch - the possibility of achieving great sales success thanks to its mix of style, behaviour that was as docile as it was sporty and a competitive price.
JAGUAR XK120, THE BEGINNING OF A NEW JAGUAR
Just as we write these lines, the motor industry includes in its agenda of controversies the one unleashed by Jaguar with its new corporate imageClearly moving away from what is traditionally associated with the British brand, it seems to be seeking a new positioning among a more diverse and global clientele.
However, in order to redefine postulates, perhaps the objectivity of mechanics is much more interesting than the vacuity of advertising. A field where the Jaguar XK120 was revolutionary thanks to the introduction of the block with six inline cylinders, semi-hemispherical chambers and double camshaft from which the different engines of the C, D and E Type started.
Not only brilliant in their commercial service record, but also leading protagonists in achieving up to five victories in Le Mans with which Jaguar fully established its image during the 1950s.
Also - and although obviously the rear was still dominated by a rigid axle - the inclusion of suspensions with deformable parallel and telescopic shock absorbers substantially improved both the handling and the ride comfort; one more among the many reasons leading to observing the importance of Jaguar XK120 in the transition to a more efficient and modern motoring just after the Second World War.
FROM HOME TESTING TO SUCCESS IN THE UNITED STATES
As we have seen, both on paper and on the asphalt, the Jaguar XK120 played a disruptive role capable of establishing the technical and sports bases of the brand facing its best years.
Of course, beyond the brilliance of its approach, a car also becomes more or less influential thanks to its commercial impact. Something in which our protagonist turned out to be clearly revolutionary. And to begin with, the assimilation of new and more efficient assembly techniques made it a relatively affordable product compared to its direct competitors.
Moreover, when talking about contemporary models equipped with a new six-cylinder engine, it is impossible not to take into account the Lancia Aurelia B20 GT with its excellent V6, a model that is undoubtedly exceptional, although at the same time capable of surpassing the billing presented by a Jaguar XK50 by more than 120%, even though the latter has all the class and refinement of a high-end English model.
At this point, from the initial batch set at around 200 units - designed to simply test the market - the production of this model managed to extend until 1961. adding more than 12.000; most of them destined for the American market, where the XK120 not only opened the way for its brand but also for many light sports cars, among which we list designs from MG, Triumph and Porsche.
In short, a success based on balancing tradition with modernity.
