Restoring the coveted 1954 XK120 SE

Eugene Bernshtam is an avid automobile enthusiast, and for this blog, he shares one of the most impressive restorations he's ever come across.

The restoration is a 1954 Jaguar XK120 SE, which was unveiled in California in 2017. The car was restored by renowned restoration company Classic Motor Cars. The vehicle and its restorers have received so much well-deserved praise, as the car finished second in the Class O-2 Postwar Closed.

Renowned Italian design house and coachbuilder Pininfarina is responsible for the car's stunning bodywork. And the fact that this is the one and only XK120 the Italian company has produced puts it in league with some of the rarest Jaguars in the world.

Over 6,700 hours were spent restoring the car. It was eventually given the Restoration of the Year award at the 2017 Octane Awards.

The regular Jaguar XK120 SE is a 4-door sedan version of the Jaguar XK120 2-seat sportscar. Park Ward produced the standard bodied cars in London at their Spenford factory and then sent to Thrupp & Maberly coachbuilders in Cricklewood for finishing before being distributed to dealers around the country.

A small number of the SE's were built with bodies by other coachbuilders, including Tickford and Carbodies. These cars are known as "Special Equipment" (SE) models to distinguish them from the standard production cars. The Special Equipment designation was also used to identify later XK120 special variants such as dropheads (cabriolets) and fixed head coupes.

The chassis number of an XK120 SE can be found under the bonnet (hood), on the firewall, stamped into the metal, Eugene Bernshtam adds.

Real estate developer Eugene Bernshtam is heavily involved in auto restoration. He is a member of both the Ferrari Club of America and the Lamborghini Club of America. Learn more about his work and interests, by clicking here.