XK120 the Fastest Car in the World

The XK120 was designed in three months by William Lyons and William Heynes and when launched to the public in 1948 caused a sensation.

On 30 May 1949, on the empty Ostend-Jabbeke motorway in Belgium, a prototype XK120 timed by the officials of the Royal Automobile Club of Belgium achieved an average of runs in opposing directions of 132.6 mph with the windscreen replaced by just one small aero screen and a catalogued alternative top gear ratio, and 135 mph with a passenger-side tonneau cover in place and claimed it’s place in motoring history as the fastest production car in the world 71 years ago.

Also in 1950 and 1951, at Autodrome de Linas-Montlhéry, a banked oval track in France, open XK120s averaged over 100 mph for 24 hours and over 130 mph for an hour.

In 1952 a fixed-head coupé took numerous world records for speed and distance when it averaged 100 mph for a week.

The XK120 paved the way for Jaguar Cars to develop their Le Mans winning C Type and D Type legendary racing cars.

Jaguars need for speed was a real selling point for Jaguar Cars in the 1950s and 60s and were seen as the leading manufacturer of sport cars in the world.