This Jaguar XK120 Restoration Project Is 50 Years In The Making. Perhaps It’s Time For Someone Else To Have A Go…

Most classic car fans are either thinking of getting another project on the go or just about ready to move on from a recently completed one. Every now and then, however, a backyard restoration job can take a little longer than expected, like this 1954 Jaguar XK120.

It has spent the past 50 years on a farm in Wales undergoing what must be the most protracted restoration project ever undertaken. While not much is known of why the job was never finished, we can be sure that it provided many years of solid excuses for its current owner to avoid unwelcome guests and tiresome household chores because the Jag needed ‘fixing’.

In fairness, he did get some of it done as the car is largely complete if only partially built, and it still has its original chassis and engine. It is one of just 151 right-hand-drive fixed-head coupés built for the UK market, of which only 57 are believed to still exist.

“When a truly rare car comes to auction which has also been tucked away and off the market for decades it creates an unmissable opportunity for collectors,” explains Tristan Judge, director at The Market. “This car’s story makes it even more interesting and appealing to buyers. With the current owner having spent some 50 years tinkering, now the opportunity exists to take-over and finish the existing project or begin a new restoration to return this classic to its former glory.”

The car comes with a certificate from Jaguar Heritage which confirms the date of manufacture to be 16 March 1954 and its original finish in Birch Grey with a gray leather interior.

The very first XK120s rolled off the production line in 1949 and were considered to be the fastest production cars in the world. Concours examples regularly top £100,000 at auction these days and this particular car’s estimate of £25,000 to £35,000 at the upcoming The Market auction should leave the new owner plenty of room to bring it back to its former glory. The auction will run online between 20 and 27 November.

Images courtesy of The Market