Some say that the XK is one of the rarest and most expensive Jaguar’s ever created. But this year Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance showed us a fantastic Jaguar, that might be the most rare one: 1954 XK120 SE by Pininfarina.
The car was well received by the crowd of collectors and aficionados gathered at the event and finished second in class O-2 Postwar Closed.
This XK120 features unique bodywork by famed Italian coachbuilder and design house Pininfarina. It was first delivered to a Mr Max Hoffman in 1954, who was an Austrian-born, New York-based importer of luxury European automobiles into the United States during the 1950s.
He was a petrol-head who inspired the production and refinement of several vehicles from the main manufacturers, which earned him entry into the Automotive Hall of Fame in 2003. It is believed that Hoffman inspired Pininfarina to reinterpret the shapes of the XK and then unveiled it at the 1955 Geneva Motor Show.
After the unveiling in Geneva, the XK appeared at the Autocar Show later in April that year and Australian magazine Modern Motor reported that it was due to be exhibited at the Turin Motor Show in 1956, but never arrived due to the owner wanting to take delivery of it.
