✦ Shifty Estimate
$69,500
▼ 18.2% · 12 mo- 12 months median
- $72K
- Market cap
- $530.4M · 7,631 built
- Sales, 12 months
- 15
- Original MSRP
- $3,345 · ▲ 1978% since
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1948 Jaguar XK120 Roadster
1948 to 1954 · Roadster · 7,631 built
Price history
Recent sales
15 sales on file
The full sale history lives in the app.
Every sale for this exact market, with the chassis behind each number. Drop your email and you are first in.
Specifications
- Engine
- Inline-6 DOHC, 3.4L
- Power
- 160 hp
- Torque
- 195 lb-ft
- 0 to 60
- 10s
- Top speed
- 120 mph
- Transmission
- Manual
- Drivetrain
- RWD
- Curb weight
- 2,856 lb
- Production
- 7,631 units
- Original MSRP
- $3,345
- Designer
- William Lyons
Common questions
How much does a Jaguar XK120 Roadster cost?
A 1948 Jaguar XK120 Roadster cost $3,345 new. Over the past 12 months, 15 have sold publicly at a median of $71,875. The Shifty Estimate for a well-kept example is $69,500. Cars have changed hands anywhere from $34,500 to $107,600, depending on mileage, color, and history.
What is a 1948 Jaguar XK120 Roadster worth today?
The Shifty Estimate is $69,500, down 18.2% over the past 12 months. Confidence is high: 15 public sales in a year gives a firm read.
Is a Jaguar XK120 Roadster a good investment?
It has appreciated 1978% against its $3,345 list price. Values are down 18.2% over the past 12 months. Only 7,631 were built. The caution is spread, not direction: across the sales we have on file, prices ran from $36,000 to $156,800, and mileage explains most of that.
What has a Jaguar XK120 Roadster sold for at auction?
The 3 most recent public sales we have on file:
- $75,000Jul 13, 2026Red · 4,000 mi
- $87,000Jun 8, 2026Pastel Blue · 90,000 mi
- $54,000May 26, 2026Red · 76,000 mi
William Lyons' XK120 revolutionized sports car design when it debuted at the 1948 London Motor Show. Originally intended as a limited-production showcase for Jaguar's new twin-cam inline-six, overwhelming demand led to 7,631 roadsters being built over six years. The 120 mph top speed—unheard of for a production car under $4,000—came courtesy of the advanced 3.4-liter XK engine that would power Jaguars for decades. Early cars featured hand-formed aluminum bodies over ash frames, while later examples used steel construction. The roadster's pure lines and dramatic proportions established the template for British sports cars. Today, XK120 roadsters represent the most accessible entry into serious Jaguar collecting, with restored examples offering genuine 120-mph performance wrapped in timeless style. Racing provenance adds significant value, as many competed successfully in period.