Monday, December 9, 2019

Did the Chrysler Newport Influence the Jaguar XK120?

To my mind, the most sensational automobile to emerge from England in the late 1940s was the Jaguar XK120.  Part of that sensation was a speed record for productions cars set by a slightly modified XK120 on Belgium's Jabbeke Highway.  But more lasting was its sensational styling that featured very little in the way of traditional British sports car appearance.

Did that wonderful Jaguar shape spring solely from the mind of William Lyons?  Or might a previous design have influenced him, consciously or otherwise?

I don't know for sure.  But it's possible that Lyons was influenced by the styling of the 1941 Chrysler Newport show car (some background here).

Let's take a look:

Gallery

Establishment photo of an early Jaguar XK120.  Key items are the fender design and the side profile of the cockpit opening.

Side view of a "for sale" XK120.

Side view of a Newport, Gooding photo.  Note these similarities: fenderline; cockpit coaming profile; aft end profile; spatted rear wheels.

Front quarter view of a X120, Bonhams photo.

Front quarter view of a Newport, perhaps an Automobile Quarterly photo of a car in the Harrah collection.

Rear quarter Jaguar XK120 view.

Rear quarter view of a Newport.

I don't know if the fenderline and cockpit coaming profile of the Newport were, in turn, influenced by an earlier car's styling.  If there was such a car, I am not aware of it, but comments regarding this are welcome.  In any case, the Newport was given a good deal of publicity when new, so it's likely that Lyons knew of it.

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