Jaguar XK120 OTS - Alloy

1950 Jaguar XK120 OTS - Alloy

With its sensational launch in 1948, the XK120 clearly threw all the rules overboard. This model set the benchmark for the post-war sports car. The car brought a remarkable combination of "race car performance" and comfort that was then unseen for a production car. The XK120 was truly the founder of the success that made Jaguar one of the greatest car brands in the world.

Sir William Lyons realized in the mid-1940s that he needed to take big steps to make his company succeed as a major independent brand. The response to this challenge was to design his own engine. The Jaguar XK engine was the result. This engine was initially intended to be used in the stately Jaguar saloon models. The only problem was that these new models were not yet finished and Sir Lyons urgently needed a car to present his new engine in.

It was decided to build a limited series of sports cars. Jaguar saw it as something of a publicity stunt and had low expectations. Thus began the construction of the first XK120 models; a sports car consisting of an ash wood and steel frame with hand beaten aluminum bodywork. Against all Jaguars' expectations, the model hit like a bomb. Orders for the "fastest production car in the world" sold like hotcakes.