Jaguar XK120 Fixed Head Coupé Walkaround

The Jaguar XK120 (Wikipedia entry here) is a classic sports car design.  It first appeared in 1948 as a roadster.  A Fixed Head Coupé (as the British put it) did not appear until the 1951 model year.

The coupé is interesting in that it carried over some of the spirit of the 1938 SS Jaguar 100 prototype coupé and the contemporary postwar Mark IV and Mark V saloons with their tight, even curved-down aft roof profiles.  In other words, a case of visual brand identification. 

The design is less pure than that of the roadster XK120s due to the added passenger greenhouse elements, but is still iconic of the marque and its times.

Featured car photos below are of a silver 1952 Jaguar Fixed Head Coupé are via Broad Arrow Auctions.

Gallery

Establishment view: note all the rounded shapes and profiles.

In contrast to the rounded hood, fender fronts and rears, greenhouse roof, trunk lid, etc., much of the sides are flat, vertical.

Side view: there is a lot of shaping activity where the top, windows, trunk and rear fender are near one another.

For some context, here is a 1951 Jaguar Fixed Head Coupé without the rear wheel opening cover (Gallery Aaldering photos).  That visual activity increases where fender skirts are absent.  Ordinarily, I prefer unskirted wheels, but skirts are better on XK120 FHCs.

The tucked down roof works well here, contrasting with the curves of the rear fender and trunk lid.

The fussiness noted above being exaggerated when rear wheels are exposed is more evident from this perspective.  Lots of visual activity in a small area.  Those flat sides create some contrast, possibly avoiding curvaceous overkill.

The rounder roof and small backlight window create an old-fashioned (1930s) appearance when seen from the rear.

I like the XK120 FHC design, but am curious how the car would look if  the lower window profile was straighter.  The window shape might possibly be a case of one curve too many.

Classic 1930s British front end elements are retained: good.

And the British wooden dashboard is a nice touch on a car that transitions from the 1930s to the 1950s.  But the steering column and steering wheel hub combination looks lethal.