1954 Jaguar XK-120SE - $92,000 - Santa Barbara, CA - Offered for sale is an exceptionally clean, rust-free, well sorted and beautiful 1954 Jaguar XK120 SE Open Two Seater (OTS), finished in stunning Black over Green leather with a black canvas soft top. Just out of the William Young collection in Seattle following 13 years of ownership, the car has been fully gone through mechanically and is ready to enjoy, whether as a fabulous weekend driver or as a Jaguar Club of North America (JCNA) event participant.
Originally sold to a Mr. Jerry Dejarlais of Mount Vernon, WA, the car was used regularly until 1965, when it was put into dry storage for the better part of a decade. It was subsequently taken to a restoration shop owned by Mr. Dejarlais’s friend in 1975, however it was inexplicably left to sit in storage there for another 26 years. Mr. Young happened upon it in 2001 and, recognizing it as the low mileage, rust-free, factory Special Equipment (SE) car that it is, determined that it deserved resurrecting.
William Young has been a significant collector for the last 40 years and while his collection has included cars as notable as multiple Jaguar SS models, the ex-Constance Bennett 1933 Rolls-Royce Phantom II Special Town Car by Brewster (now valued at $3M+) and a bevy of other significant pre and post-war Rolls-Royces and Bentleys, Jaguars were always his true passion and we were fortunate enough to have acquired three of his XK120 Roadsters and his Mark V Drophead Coupe. A JCNA regional president for many years, Mr. Young always bought only the most solid examples and kept them exceptionally well maintained, as evidenced by this car’s beautiful condition.
The recipient of a comprehensive, 13-year-old quality restoration by Alan Gerard at the highly regarded Paladin Autoworks, Ltd. in Bellevue, WA, the car presents nearly as well as it did following its completion, at which point it was a fixture at JCNA events. The factory correct Black paint is not without its blemishes, but as the pictures exhibit, they are few, far between and completely insignificant in terms of taking away from the car’s substantial overall appeal. The body is entirely straight, without any evidence of bondo or accident repair and the panel fit is consistent with even gaps all around. The brightwork is in excellent shape, as are both the rubber and glass, and the chrome knock-off wire wheels are wrapped in brand new wide white wall tires.
The green leather interior is in equally clean condition, appearing virtually untouched. The seats show only the most negligible amount of wear and the carpets and interior paneling are marred by only the patina of a well-used and cared for classic. The canvas soft top is as new and the car has never been subjected to the elements, evidenced by the untainted, rust-free undercarriage. This is an entirely pure, correct and honest car, one that needs only a new owner’s garage and the same gentle use and care that it received under Mr. Young’s stewardship.
Mechanically the car is fantastic, its 3.4L engine firing up effortlessly, idling consistently and pulling strongly and smoothly through each of the original Moss gearbox’s gears. A factory Special Equipment model, the dual exhaust emits a note that this nothing if not grin-inducing. Performance accompanies with excellent, even compression and fantastic ride quality. The car brakes straight and true, the suspension is sound and the car is a joy on the road, whether tooling through town, roaring through the canyons or bombing down the highway. The car is accompanied by its original tool kit (extremely hard to find and prohibitively expensive today), as well as black side curtains (hardly used), spare wire wheel and changing tools.
This is an excellent opportunity to acquire an appreciating XK120 SE OTS that has all the right things going for it: beautiful cosmetic condition, a timeless and appealing color combination, excellent provenance and strong mechanicals. We considered consigning the entire collection to the Gooding and Co. auction at Amelia Island, FL this spring, but opted to sell the cars (or the entire collection) privately at what would be a significant discount compared to what examples routinely bring when crossing the auction block.
