The Motor YEAR BOOK, 1954    BRITISH CARS OF 1953     JAGUAR XK 120 CONVERTIBLE

The highly popular Jaguar XK 120 open two-seater sports-car was introduced at the Earl's Court Show of 1949 and in March, 1951, it commenced to be produced as a fixed head Coupé. There remained, however, a number of possible buyers who wished to make the best of both worlds and to meet their needs a drophead Coupé version of the car made its official debut at the New York Motor Show in April, 1953.
Special care has been taken to design a head which is free from angularity and also provides good headroom (35 in.), whilst ease of operation and neatness when furled are further notable points. Fixing is by means of three toggle catches to the top of the deep V-screen and, when these have been released, it is a simple one-man action (aided by spring-loaded cant rails) to swing the head back, the material falling naturally into suitable folds which call for no special arrangement before the neat envelope can be slipped in place; the envelope is secured by press studs on the interior side and invisible fastenings on the outside, these latter hooking under a chromium-plated beading which surrounds the back and sides of the head.
Mohair is used for the exterior of the head and this is lined and padded, whilst a further interior lining (making, in effect, a three-ply construction) is used in addition. The result is a particularly smooth exterior and a saloon-like interior. The rear window (measuring 25 in. by 4¼ in.) is carried in a zip-secured panel which may be opened in hot weather to give an aperture of approximately 30 in. by 9 in.
Drop windows of safety glass are used and these have plated metal frames and are arranged to wind down diagonally into the doors so that, in part-lowered positions, their leading edges remain in contact with the sloping fixed frames carrying the small hinged panels which act as draught deflectors when the car is open or as ventilators when it is closed. The screen pillars, although stiffened for open coachwork, are still quite slim.