Miguel Sánchez
Throughout the history of motorsports, few cars have been as resoundingly successful as the Jaguar XK120. Wherever you look at his legacy… It is full of successes. In fact, the only downside to it is that it almost died from a "drunkenness" thereof. A trick that turned his first weeks on the assembly line into an agony against time; and it is that, after its presentation in 'British International Motor Show ' In 1948, the success was so resounding that about 300 units were ordered in the same presentation (sounds like a little today, right?).
That demand surpassed the English manufacturer, which had to rethink the body of the XK120 in order to make it a more manageable invoice. The original plans contemplated a dress made of hand-made aluminum, but this blazing success… He made it switch to a series-manufactured steel one, in order to meet delivery deadlines.
Despite the change, it was an exclusive 250 units that were sold with aluminum bodywork. Although there is an XK120… That mounts an even more exclusive body. So much so that it is unique: it is about chassis S675360 bodied by Pininfarina.
XK120: ENGLAND RENAISSANCE WITH CURVES
After the desolation sown by World War II, England needed symbols that would demonstrate its resurgence from the ruins of the bombings. It was the moment that, in the field of mechanics, the heroic fighters Spitfire with a Rolls Royce engine will give way to a powerful and sensual sporty to remind the whole world of the usual phlegmatic character of the English motor and to sell well in America, which is where there was money to buy them. And so it was that, just three years after the end of the contest, Jaguar presented the sinuous shapes of the XK120.
Ways that quickly fell in love with many of the celebrities of the time, thus making the XK120 commonplace. on the roads of hollywood. Humprey Bogart, Clark Gable, Laurent Bacall… Having these owners paved the way for the XJ120 in America, whose drivers were finally able to learn about the virtues of European sports cars. And the thing is, if we had seen Bacall in his XK120 ... an outbreak of Stendhal syndrome!
Aesthetics aside, the XK120's engineering didn't disappoint either. its XK6 front engine, six-cylinder in-line with double overhead camshafts and almost 3.500 cc happily yielded 180 to 210 hp depending on the version. More than enough power to make this two-seater a four-speed manual rear-wheel drive sports car as fun as it is pleasant to drive.
An ideal engine both to link curves with the hood stored under the California sun ... As to win for power and reliability 5 editions of the 24 Hours of Le Mans and to figure, therefore, among the best promoters in history.
JAGUAR XK120 S675360. THE PININFARINA CONNECTION
As you can imagine, there are many XK120 with unique stories ... But today in La Team we are going to focus on a really special one: the one who has the “italian connection”. And, although almost nothing is known about the reason for the order, the truth is that in 1955 -with the XK120 recently retired from production- this version bodied by Pininfarina.
[your_youtube url = »https://youtu.be/mGR6J9we3yQ»]
A version that has been very difficult to see and keep on track as it has remained almost hidden for decades. Although if you see the photographs that illustrate the original state ... You can understand it. In fact, when in 2015 it was acquired by Classic Motor Cars it was a powerless owner in restoring the car who was getting rid of it.
Quite a challenge that has led to 6.725! hours of work and not a few quasi tricks "archaeological”To figure out what the original body color was, or what upholstery it was fitted with in the first place.
Investigations made from small remains, from clues forgotten under the layers of previous modifications ... Quite a "forensic" job to bring this XK120 back to its original state, including both hours of craftsmanship and 3D scanning techniques. Undoubtedly a restoration of those that "create school”, But at the end of the day necessary when we are dealing with something like the chassis S675360- A unique version in which Jaguar and Pininfarina take the beauty of one of the most iconic sports cars in motorsport history to a new level.
[your_youtube url = »https://youtu.be/mFfuUu5xmMA»]
