Jaguar XK120/140/150 Sports Cars & XK120 Remarkable History JWK 651 2 Book Set

Introduction by Karl Ludvigsen. No sports-car introduction in history has had the impact of Jaguar's XK120 in 1948. Thrust into a dreary post-war world was a stunningly gorgeous roadster, its styling inspired by the best pre-war Italian design, powered by a magnificent 3.5-liter in-line six developing 160 horsepower. Its twin-cam hemispherical-chamber head was a dramatic advance for British production cars.

Exotic cars all, the XK-series of sports Jaguars are among the world's most glamorous.

Rare photos from the Ludvigsen Library trace their history on road and track and give an intimate portrait of the sports cars that raised the bar for Jaguar's opposition and cemented the company's reputation for fast, stylish cars that were also remarkably affordable.

This book tells the story of one of the six alloy-bodied XK 120s that were prepared by Jaguar in 1950 for racing and rallying.

This one, known as JWK 651 because of the registration number, was owned by Leslie Johnson and raced by him in some of the most prestigious events of the time, including the Le Mans 24 Hours, the Mille Miglia (twice) and the Tourist Trophy at Dundrod.

Beyond that, Johnson and up-and-coming racing driver Stirling Moss visited the speed bowl at Montlhery for a record-breaking attempt, and Johnson also took part in the RAC Rally.

In 1950, the car lay in second place in the Le Mans 24 Hours after 15 hours and was gaining on the leaders when the clutch failed.

Besides this diverse and distinguished period competition career, the book tells the story of the later life of this most significant XK 120. The book includes a wealth of period photographs as well as a portfolio of magnificent studio images