Truth be told, women through the decades have always adored the type of man who drives a classic Jaguar sports car--something about the sensuous curving lines of these autos, along with the thrilling sense of danger in the firm, high-performance ride. Goodness gracious!
Now, Nostalgia Cars of Somerset, England, who specialize in updating the aura of yesteryear with driveability-improving modern technology, offers to playboys of the modern world one of the most beautiful motorcars of all time: the Jaguar XK120 Replica.
Not for the faint of heart, an XK120 kit car builder may expect to spend up to 700 hours hand-crafting his Jag replica to his own vision of customized perfection. But, to achieve the rare aura of nostalgic glamour and power available in the finished product, the process will be a labor of love.
To start with, the self-build package includes a complete box-steeled, fully-bracketed rolling chassis, which the pluckiest of home assemblers can actually drive, if they are gutsy enough and have access to private roads. According to Nostalgia XK120 customers, this driveable chassis may give the initial feeling that you need only drop on the body, bolt on a few components and you're done. Not so. The real work of putting your total car together as you desire it to look and feel is only beginning.
Parts Available or by Treasure Hunt
Every part needed to complete your Jaguar XK120 replica to a high finish is available from Nostalgia Cars at competitive prices, along with personalized assistance from the company should the step-by-step build manual leave questions to be answered.
Many XK120 component selections are available from the Nostalgia factory, and they are continually adding to their array of specialized part choices. Factory available engines are Jaguar XK six-cylinder engine units with twin overhead camshaft, offered from 2.8 to 4.2 litre; transmission choices are Jag 4-speed manuals with optional overdrive and a 5-speed manual or automatic box. The curvy body comes as handcrafted aluminum, with a cost-saving GRP (glass reinforced plastic) version also offered, and the two catalog rear suspensions are the Jag MK II live axle with A-frame double radius arms, supported by coil springs over adjustable shock absorbers, or a Jag independent, single wishbone with coil springs and adjustable shocks.
Although a complete, factory-assembled version of the Nostalgia XK120 is available, as well as factory-finished stages of the build, many XK120 lovers have opted to build a highly-customized car for themselves, searching for parts--which can come from later model Jaguar donor cars--and sometimes fabricating their own special finish elements.
The Nostalgia Jaguar XK120 replica appeals to true Anglophiles and anyone who has the resources to conjure up a real-life aura of the cool and classy British aristocrat playboy. He speeds nimbly around the long, curving drive of his impossibly-green country estate onto the English highway. His powerful engine purrs as he cruises at maximum speed into London. At a century-old Chelsea townhouse, he picks up a beautiful companion, and finally leaves his gleaming XK120 in the hands of a valet, as they enter one of the London clubs frequented by daring young royals and dashing peers of the realm. When you purchase a Nostalgia Jaguar XK120 replica, fully-assembled or lovingly built in your own garage, you are getting a real-life dream.
