Talk:Jaguar XK120

Use of the description 'Super Sports'

When the XK120 was exhibited at the Earl's Court Motor Show in London, 1948, it was called the 'XK Open Two Seater Super Sports', and when it went into production, I believe it was renamed the 'XK120 Super Sports'. This was how it was described in Jaguar advertisements, and also in the Workshop manual (a copy of which I have in my possession, dating from about 1952).

However, this model is more commonly referred to as the 'XK120 Roadster', or the 'XK120 OTS' (Open Top Sports). Can anybody clarify which is the 'correct' name for this historic car?

As a matter of interest, I remember seeing in Epsom an XK120 in BRG with a chrome 'SS' badge on the back in the 1960s. Presumably this stood for Super Sports, but also carried with it echoes of the old SS100 sports car, where the 'SS' stood for Swallow Sidecar. (See also Jaguar XKSS).

Wire wheels in races in 1950?

Please, provide some correct sources when stating that the Jaguar XK120 was raced in 1950 with wire wheels and leather strap and bonnet louvres. After a quick google I came up with these period images of a Jaguar XK120 in races in 1950, none of which have wire wheels, and none seem to have a leather strap. So I reverted the change to the caption back to the original caption. Simply stating "It was raced in 1950, and they raced with wire wheels and bonnet straps, so stop messing" in an edit summary just will not do.

• http://hellformotors.tumblr.com/post/13199992752/phil-hill-at-the-1950-pebble-beach-road-race
• http://www.oldclassiccar.co.uk/photos-racing/lemans1.jpg
• http://www.oldclassiccar.co.uk/photos-racing/lemans7.jpg
• http://www.hiltonandmoss.com/v/112/-jaguar-xk120-aluminium-roadster/1949/xk120/ (see the period photo in the upper right hand corner of the page)
• http://www.cwn.org.uk/motoring/jaguar/images/jaguar-xk120-w400.jpg
• http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4034/4685736966_7a7a245ee4_o.jpg
• http://thethrottle.thechive.com/2011/02/23/some-cars-from-1950-23-photos/auto-500-1950-jaguar-xk-120-mt-washington-hillclimbwtmk/

Mark in wiki (talk) 15:34, 9 February 2012 (UTC)

The flickr image shows Biondetti racing the actual car shown in the article photograph. (Mille Miglia, 1950.) Scroll down here for another image of the same car at the same event. No wire wheels, no strap, no louvres. (A one-off cut-down full-width windscreen was fitted for the Mille Miglia. The car competed in other events with an aero screen.) I trust this settles it with the German IP once and for all and that he/she will no longer edit-war to force disinformation into the article. Writegeist (talk) 17:24, 9 February 2012 (UTC)

Marilyn Monroe

This lady showed all the characteristics of most other women, they were just assembled better. Does the same not apply to the shape of the body of the Jaguar XK120?

I refer to the now deleted comment —"Many of the design features appeared on French, Italian and German automobiles designed before or immediately after the Second World War. While a striking car its side design was almost identical to a pre-war BMW racing vehicle. The front was influenced by French design."

The above (uncited) comment seems like a sour and unwelcome remark. Eddaido (talk) 00:31, 27 October 2019 (UTC)