Certainly among the most culturally resonant—and unusual—Jaguar XK 120s known to exist, this 1953 Drophead Coupe is a period custom with a remarkable story: it was extensively reimagined by legendary customizer George Barris for the equally storied Arizona Senator and former Presidential Candidate Barry Goldwater.

An Air Force Reserve Major General, World War II veteran, and avowed enthusiast of speed, Goldwater was also clearly a man who possessed a distinctly individual taste in automobiles. His XK 120 was not only the highly luxurious Drophead Coupe, with its sumptuous fabrics and burl walnut trim, but the high-performance SE model, powered by Jaguar’s 3.4-liter DOHC straight-six equipped with high-lift camshafts and dual exhaust.

Seeking something beyond its standard presentation, Goldwater turned to John von Neumann’s Competition Motors in Los Angeles, which in turn engaged George Barris and his Barris Kustom team. Unlike his earlier work on Clark Gable’s XK 120, Barris completely reimagined the car, bringing the defining visual ideas of American custom-car culture to one of Britain’s most celebrated automotive designs.

At the front, the factory headlamp treatment was replaced with recessed—or “frenched”—Buick headlamp rims, smoothly integrated into reshaped fender tips. The grille was revised with horizontal bars in place of the original vertical arrangement, giving the Jaguar a lower, more assertive stance. Modified fadeaway fenders incorporated sculpted air scoops along their lower edges, while custom broadside trim visually connected these elements to the car’s revised contours.

The rear treatment was more radical still with Buick tailfin assemblies fitted to extensively reshaped rear quarter panels, with the fenders themselves extended and reworked to create a distinctly American silhouette. The deck lid was modified to accommodate a Continental-style spare-tire carrier, while the original bumpers were replaced with shortened Cadillac units. Inside, the dashboard was refinished in aluminum and fitted with an array of aviation-inspired instruments—an especially apt touch for the lifelong airman.

This is an XK 120 unlike any other: a British sports car shaped by the bold, expressive imagination of one of America’s most influential customizers. A significant chassis worthy of a full restoration, it offers a fascinating alternate chapter in the model’s history and presents a worthy challenge for collectors of landmark customs, bold design experiments, and truly one-off cars.