1952 Jaguar XK120 Record Car
In 1953 Sir William Lyons set out to prove the XK120 was on of the most capable cars by reaching 172.412 mph on the Jabbeke straight in Belgium.
Driver Norman Dewis piloted a modified XK120 with a small perspex bubble windscreen and it won the land speed record for a production car. It became the only Jaguar to hold a land speed record.
As a result of this achievment, a small brass plate was included on the dashboard of the XK120 describing the record run.
Dewis was piloting chassis 660986 registered ‘MDU524’. It was a factory race car which had already competed in the 1952 Alpine Trial before being fitted with its streamlined bodywork. After the record run it was retained by the factory and used at Goodwood, Mallory Park, Silverstone, Crystal Palace and Brands Hatch without its streamlined configuration.
In 2013 an extensive restoration was done to MDU524 by JD Classics for Jaguar collector Jeff Lotman. The 18 month restoration was completed in 18 months to be reunited with Norman Dewis at the 2013 Quail Motorsports Gathering.
1952 Jaguar XK120 Record Car Gallery
In Detail
| type | Record Car |
| built at | Coventry, England |
| production | 1 |
| engine | Cast Iron, Inline-6 |
| position | Front Longitudinal |
| aspiration | Natural |
| valvetrain | DOHC, 2 Valves per Cyl |
| fuel feed | Twin SU H6 Carburettors |
| displacement | 3442 cc / 210.0 in³ |
| bore | 83 mm / 3.27 in |
| stroke | 106 mm / 4.17 in |
| compression | 7.0:1 |
| power | 119.3 kw / 160.0 bhp @ 5000 rpm |
| specific output | 46.48 bhp per litre |
| torque | 264.38 nm / 195 ft lbs @ 2500 rpm |
| body / frame | Steel Body over Steel Frame |
| front tires | 6.00×16 |
| rear tires | 6.00×16 |
| front brakes | Girling Hydraulic Drums |
| rear brakes | Girling Hydraulic Drums |
| steering | Re-circulating Ball |
| f suspension | Double Wishbones w/Torsion Bar, Telescopic Shock Absorbers |
| r suspension | Live Axle w/Half Elliptic Springs, Girling Hydrualic Shock Absorbers |
| wheelbase | 2591 mm / 102 in |
| front track | 1295 mm / 51 in |
| rear track | 1270 mm / 50 in |
| length | 4394 mm / 173.0 in |
| width | 1562 mm / 61.5 in |
| height | 1245 mm / 49 in |
| transmission | 4-Speed Manual |
| top speed | ~279.97 kph / 174 mph |
