Thornley Kelham breathes new life into old Jaguar XK120s

• Thonley Kelham has completed its first XK120 restomod
• Thonley Kelham hired a former McLaren designer to pen a new body for the XK120 restomod
• The XK120 restomod sticks with the original XK engine but the peak output has been increased

The idea of restomodding a Jaguar XK120 may seem sacrilegious, but Thornley Kelham has managed to deliver an example that pays respect to the original while at the same time breathing new life into it.

Thornley Kelham is a British company that specializes in restorations, typically for classic European cars. It has also expanded into the restomodding business for cars like the Porsche 356, Porsche 911, and Lancia Aurelia, and now we can add the Jaguar XK120 to the list.

Thornley Kelham first previewed its XK120 restomod, known as the XK European, in 2022. The first example has now been completed, and according to Piston Heads took around 2,000 hours to complete.

Customers can supply their own XK120 or Thornley Kelham can source one. The company prefers to source examples considered to be rust buckets, as virtually every element of the car ends up being replaced in the restomod.

The body for example is built from scratch using lightweight alloys. There are dimensional changes, too, penned by former McLaren designer Paul Howse. The changes are subtle but give the XK120 a wider, more muscular look. The roof is also around 2.5 inches lower.

The powertrain and chassis are also overhauled to up the performance. The XK 3.8-liter inline-6 is worked over to deliver 300 or 340 hp, depending on the specification, which is up from the 160-220 hp the engine originally delivered in the XK120. Some of the upgrades include a new camshaft, rebored cylinders, and a direct fuel injection system.

For the chassis, the suspension has been reconfigured and includes double wishbones, along with Bilstein dampers and Eibach springs. The wheels are a 16-inch set and house modern disc brakes. Another modern safety feature are the headlights which feature LEDs for improved visibility at night.

Inside, Thornley Kelham has installed a hidden roll cage and lined most of the surfaces with Connolly leather. Custom bucket seats are installed and can be fitted with four-point harnesses as a no-cost option. Modern touches include air conditioning, electric windows, power steering, a wireless phone charger, and an infotainment system. The gauges are original but their inner workings have been renewed.

Thornley Kelham plans to build just 25 examples in total. The company has previously announced a starting price of 550,000 British pounds (approximately $725,000), not including the cost of the donor car.