1953 Jaguar XK120 FHC


I have always had a soft spot for Jaguar XK120s, particularly the Fixed Head Coupes (FHC). To me, they are very beautiful, elegant body shapes, comparable to the “Phony and Flashy” (Figoni and Falaschi) bodied Delahayes, Delages and Bugatti Type 57S Atlantic bodies of the 1930s and I’m sure Sir William Lyons (or just plain Mr. William Lyons as he was in 1947) used these cars as an inspiration, when he designed the fixed head coupe. Or was it Malcolm Sayer, who designed the D and E Type? I’ve never been able to really discover. Whatever, William Lyons certainly had to be personally satisfied with a body shape before he would allow it to be produced; hence we can say that he was responsible for the shape. I certainly believe that they will, in the future, be seen as far more collectible than they currently are.

My first ride in an XK120 was in my friend Roger Platt’s example. This was in about 1962, when XKs of all sorts could be bought for between $75-$450.00. Yes, you read that right, seventy five to four hundred and fifty dollars! I was living in England then, near to Stratford on Avon and, as the World-beating E-Type Jaguar had just been introduced, XKs (including the 140 and 150) were worth next to nothing then.

Roger’s XK was, what shall we say to be polite, a “beater”. Old, well used and dented but it was still an XK, made all the right noises and went well. I do remember that it wasn’t so hot in the braking department with those old drum brakes but then again these were old drum brakes!

At that time, there was a magazine, which came out every Thursday, called the “Exchange and Mart”, which was like the “Hemmings” of today over here. The Exchange and Mart was full of just about everything for sale, including, of course, cars. The smart boys in London got it on Wednesday afternoons, hot off the press, so to speak and would, therefore, beat everyone else in the country to get the bargains. I remember that Exchange and Mart had a motto: “Just remember – most people are honest, or business cannot take place." I’ve always remembered that – because it’s true!

I was perusing the “Jaguar” column in the Exchange and Mart one Thursday morning and spotted an advertisement for a 120 FHC in London, which seemed to imply that the car being advertised was in excellent nick and could be had for £125.00. I called the number and the guy who answered said the car was indeed very nice. I then asked him what was wrong with it. “Nothing” he replied shortly. After arranging to meet him at his house to take a look that evening, I took a walk to the bank, withdrew £125.00 and went back to work, after having asked Rene (my then business partner) to take me down to London, a distance of some one hundred miles, after work that evening.

I don’t remember much about the trip to London but I do remember that it was dark when we finally found the street that the owner of the 120 lived in. We cruised down it looking at house numbers and passed an XK120 in beautiful shape. “Wow” I remember saying, “it would be great if the one we’ve come to see is anything like that one.” Of course, it was that very car. The owner showed us around it, started the engine (on Webers, with a “C” type head, I remember) and it sounded great. I didn’t bother haggling, just happily handed over the £125.00, accepted the logbook and a receipt in return and the XK was mine. “Tell me”, I said as we were leaving, “why is it so cheap?” The owner smiled, “I’m emigrating to Australia next week” he said.

Two things from that trip home I’ll never forget: One was the action of inserting the ignition key, twisting it to “on” and then pressing the black starter button; the other thing was passing a well-lit Hyde Park and seeing the distinctive image of the framing around the passenger side window. “It’s really mine” I remember saying to myself.

NDU 905 (that was the registration number) served me well for a year and 12,000 miles. Only the battery let me down in that time. I never tired of the view through the flat windshield pane on the driver’s side of that bonnet curving away and the shapely fenders too. She went well, too, especially for those days. I can remember seeing an indicated 132 mph on the Bicester to London Road (not so much traffic around then) and, given a probable 10% optimism, it was probably still some 116 mph genuine. She had Dunlop disc brakes on the front too, which certainly helped in the stopping department. Years later, long after she was gone, I found a photo of her racing at Brands Hatch, hence the disc brakes and Weber carbs.

What happened to her? I hear you say. Sheepishly, I have to admit that I part-exchanged her for an XK150S that was well past its prime. Stupid me. I’ve often wondered what happened to NDU 905, or if she even still exists, which is probably doubtful but who knows? She may have survived.

STOP PRESS! Found her, she is alive and well in New Zealand and looking gorgeous – five year restoration, five speed gearbox, 3.8 engine. I’m in contact with the owner...

After the XK150S, which I honestly don’t remember much about, except that it was a 3.4 liter engined thing (and rapidly went rusty!), I fell into a few years of family car motoring but the XKs lured me back to more interesting cars and I remember a black 120 FHC, that I bought from that great dealer / character Jeremy Wade, which again was a very enjoyable driver. I can remember doing a couple of races at Mallory Park with that and she survived quite well. In the 1990s, I bought a “project” from John Pearson, an XK120 FHC with aluminum fenders. My great friend Allen Goodall built it for me, with wider than standard Aston Martin wheels, disc brakes all around, a louvered bonnet, leather strap, rack and pinion steering and a 3.8 engine on Webers. We managed to get her street-registered as “WSU 738”. That was an impressive motorcar to drive. I took her to the Isle of Man and enjoyed a great run in the “Manx Classic” before I sold her. She’s still (I think!) with the man who’s had her since then.

And finally... After WSU 738, I bought an old Modsports 120 Roadster THS 120 that had a 3.8 on Webers and disc brakes. Also had a rollbar, which seemed a very good idea! She too sounded great through the twin exhausts and went really well. I used her for fast touring and a few hillclimbs before selling her as I was coming to America to live. Happy days!