The right-hand drive prototype displayed at the London Motor Show in October was chassis number This car looked almost identical to production versions except for its straight outer windscreen pillars which subsequently became curved. In addition to appearances at motor shows and road tests in noted publications, Jaguar decided to promote the XK through speed records, races and rallies. The first of these high profile outings was on May 30th when Jaguar took a white left-hand drive prototype chassis to a closed section of the Ostend-Jabbeke motorway in Belgium.
The car was fitted with a full-length aluminium undertray and the tallest possible gear ratio. Timing was carried out by officials from the Royal Automobile Club of Belgium. With the windscreen, hood and side screens in place, Sutton achieved a two-way average of The hood and sidescreens were then removed, the windscreen was replaced with an aero screen and a rigid tonneau was fitted over the passenger side of the cockpit.
In this configuration, Sutton averaged In anticipation of the Silverstone outing, the three XKs underwent special preparation. Chassis the original right-hand drive prototype and London Motor Show car was repainted blue from its original bronze and entered for Prince Bira. Chassis , the first left-hand drive prototype, was repainted red from its original bronze and entered for Peter Walker. The white Jabbeke record car, chassis , was entered for Leslie Johnson.
The conversion was a straightforward process carried out to stop the right-hand rear wheel lifting on right-hand turns. Chief opposition would come from Frazer Nash, Allard and Healey. Despite an early collision with a spinning Jowett Javelin, Leslie Johnson drove the white Jabbeke record car to victory. He finished 5. After the good publicity achieved by winning at Silverstone, William Lyons agreed to send chassis to the USA for Leslie Johnson to contest a road race around the streets of Palm Beach on January 3rd By lap twelve of the 50 lap race, Johnson was up to second.
Johnson finished fourth overall and third in class. He also collected a trophy for best performance by a British car and another for best production car. After the race, chassis was sold to a privateer Jack Rutherford. For the rest of the year, Leslie Johnson raced a new car chassis Ostensibly, these significantly uprated cars were privateer machines, but Jaguar provided considerable assistance to ensure they stood the best chance of success.
The factory-supported owners were Leslie Johnson chassis , Nick Haines chassis , Peter Walker chassis , Clemente Biondetti chassis , Ian Appleyard chassis , Tommy Wisdom chassis and Peter Whitehead chassis The Semi-Works Competition cars covered in more detail separately achieved a host of fine results during Leslie Johnson finished fifth at the Mille Miglia and looked set for a potential win at Le Mans until clutch failure forced him to retire while lying third.
Moss and Johnson then teamed up to set a series of speed records at Montlhery where they most notably averaged True privateers were also quick to test their XKs in competition.
Perhaps the best known was a young Phil Hill who campaigned chassis which he most notably used to win the Pebble Beach Cup. In May , the first predominantly steel bodied XK rolled off the production line.
Only the hood, doors and bootlid remained aluminium. Pressed steel moulds enabled the firm to dramatically increase production, but there was a 51kg weight penalty. The FHC featured a handsome teardrop cabin profile reminiscent of a Bugatti Atalante and was equipped to a generally higher specification than the OTS roadster.
In May the first steel bodied XK rolled out of the factory and finally, after only building 96 cars in the first two years of production, Jaguar could keep up with demand for its now legendary sports car.
This made the XK a truly practical car with winding windows and a walnut veneered dashboard. The reason for the majority of XKs being exported was two fold; first there was high overseas demand, particularly from the USA, for the XK and secondly in post-war England scarce resources were allocated to those companies that exported much of their production.
The exportation of the XK meant that Jaguar not only lead the way in motor sport through the s but also lead the way towards economic recovery for the UK. Power was increased form bhp to bhp and wire wheels added to provide better cooling for the drum breaks.
In the cold light of day over sixty years later Jaguar might have been exaggerating a little with these figures but that does not detract from the success they had with these cars.
This offered the practicality and luxury of the FHC with winding windows, walnut dash and a roof that would actually keep the rain off combined with the joy of open top driving offered by the OTS. Of over 12, XKs built less than 2, were right hand drive so if you have every wondered why right hand drive cars demand a price premium there you go.
Tim Rodie. This is a very late example of the XK, built in November and only 36 cars from the end of production of the right-hand drive two-seater. It was first registered to a dealer in Birmingham, and then sold to a private owner in Leamington Spa who kept the car until when it was acquired by Jaguar, so this car has in effect only ever had two owners from new. The XK was introduced at the London Motor Show in open two-seater form, and was produced from to
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