French title

Chassis no. 670 043 Engine no. W1088-7 Gearbox no. JH913 Body no. F1067

- The 43rd aluminium-bodied XK 120 built with LHD from new

- Chassis, engine and gearbox numbers as when it left the factory

- Exceptional history in Uruguay, used in competition in period

- Driven by Fangio and González

- Complete restoration from 2012–2018, strictly respecting the original specification

- Exhaustive history and restoration file, complete traceability from new

 

Presented at the London Motor Show in 1948, the Jaguar XK 120 shook up the automotive world when it became the first production car able to reach 120 mph (200 km/h). The very first cars, hand-built from aluminium before full-scale production of steel-bodied cars gradually began from March 1950, are the epitome of the model in its purest form and the most sought after. With about 240 aluminium-bodied cars built (in left- and right-hand drive together), this model represents a tiny fraction of the total production of the XK 120 and is the very essence of Jaguar’s first great sports car.

 

Chassis no. 670 043 is a perfect example of the lineage that began with this model. Assembled in November 1949 in the workshops in Coventry, it was the 43rd left-hand drive aluminium-bodied example built. Delivered on 1 February 1950 to Jaguar’s official importer Pablo Acardi in Montevideo, the XK 120 soon took its place in a booming automotive sector, characterized by a strong motorsport culture and by the leading European makes. In the 1950s, the Jaguar was regularly seen at local racetracks.

At the end of the 1950s, its history took an exceptional turn when it was acquired by the Argentinian racing driver José Froilán González and then also used by Juan Manuel Fangio, the five-time Formula 1 World Champion. A photograph dated 21 January 1952, taken during the inauguration of the Punta Fría circuit in Uruguay, already shows the central role it played in motorsport in South America, in the hands of these two Argentinian legends.

After spending several decades in South America, the car was exported to Europe in 1990 and arrived in Barcelona. The engine was then sent to Coventry to be completely rebuilt, although an overall restoration of the car was not undertaken at this time. In 2011, it was bought by its current owner, a Jaguar enthusiast, who set about re-establishing its historical integrity. He commissioned a full chassis-up restoration with the Jaguar specialist Parlanti in Arles, which took place from 2012–2018. The restoration, at a total cost in excess of 250,000 €, was carried out with the utmost rigour, each job being undertaken in strict accordance with the specifications of the first aluminium-bodied XK 120s. No compromises were accepted, whether for the materials or the methods employed, in order to preserve the authenticity of the model in line with the most accurate interpretation possible.

The entire process has now been recorded in the exceptionally rich history and restoration file, precisely relating each stage in the work, all the mechanical jobs undertaken and every technical decision made. The ash wooden frame was preserved whenever possible, the body restored and repainted with a high-gloss finish in Old English White, the original engine overhauled at Coventry and the upholstery produced using Connolly leather in accordance with the original specifications. Every mechanical, electrical or cosmetic part has been refurbished to a level worthy of the highest standards of restoration. Since this remarkable work was carried out, the XK 120 has been used sparingly by its careful owner.

Today, chassis no. 670 043 offers a rare combination of historic and technical features which make it a first-rate example. Its recent restoration, carried out to the strictest professional standards and perfectly documented, gives it an exceptional level of presentation today.

Beyond its intrinsic rarity, this XK 120 embodies the purity of the first Jaguar sports cars and all the might of the greatest automotive stories, those in which a car becomes the direct witness to the people and moments that shaped the history of motorsport in the world.

Photos © Loïc Kernen