Italian and Swiss Built Customized Jaguar XKs

The XK120 Jaguar is an iconic, classic design.  Why would anyone want to put a custom body on one?

There must have been reasons, because this post presents four examples of such modifications.  Each of the four cars shown below received a body by a non-British coach builder.  One was designed by an American and was based on the Jaguar XK140, a facelifted XK120.

In my opinion, none of the four designs was as interesting as the original XK120.  Their main justification might have been that their new bodies were more "modern" or "fashionable" than the production Jag.  Also, they might have been more practical regarding space utilization and ergonomic considerations.

Gallery

1949 Jaguar XK120 Roadster - Bonhams photo
Early 120s had roadster bodies.  The rear fender is spatted, the front end has carryover prewar features including a narrow, vertical grille.  Headlights are set close to it, rather than being mounted atop the fenders.

1953 XK120 Fixed Head Coupe - via RM Sotheby's
The fixed head coupe body was prototyped in 1951.  The tucked-in aft shape of the roofline was a carryover from Jaguar sedan designs.

1951c. Jaguar XK120 by Beutler - auction photo
Designed and built by Gebrüder Beutler of Thun, Switzerland, this strikes me as being the most attractive of the four.

The front end is less successful than the rest of the car due to the awkward placing of the headlights: they should have been moved inward.  A version of the XK120 grille was retained.

1952 Jaguar XK120 by Stabilimenti Farina - unknown photo source
In line with early 1950s Italian style, but poorly executed.  There is a curious, subtle bulge on the side abaft of the front wheel opening.  The grille is not Jaguar-like.

The aft shapes are simple, but slightly awkward.  The trunk could have been flatter or the rear fenders re-thought.

1954 Jaguar XK120 by Pinin Farina - via Goodwood
Not one of the maestro's better efforts. The grille is Jaguar-like.  Headlights are adjacent, but with awkward mountings.  The two-segment bumper shouldn't have those extensions bending upwards.

By contrast, the rear seems too simple, lacking character.

1954 Jaguar XK140 by Raymond Lowey and Boano
Famed industrial designed Raymond Loewy commissioned several custom bodies during his career.  This design offers no hint that it is a Jaguar.

Interestingly, the shaping seen from this angle suggests design features used by Chrysler's Virgil Exner a few years later in some concept car designs.