Jaguar XK120
After World War, II the British car industry was in ruins and in desperate need of a good export product. As a luxury car company, Jaguar was particularly affected and needed to sell in America. But what was a better way to do it than to make a fantastic sports car and draw attention from US customers (via Hagerty)?
Called the XK 120, this was one of Jaguar’s quintessential sports cars and one of the fastest models of the decade. It was introduced in 1948 with a powerful straight-six engine, a sleek, streamlined body, and a top speed of 120 mph. The rest was history and Jaguar not only sold well but also inspired the production of the E Type. Even though it wasn’t cheap, Jaguar sold over 40.000 cars in 11 years. The 120 brought much-needed financial stability to this brand.