Found this 8x10 inch poster card in an old file and thought it might be of interest. The fact sheet color schemes specify it’s from a 1948/1949 catalogue. I do not know if Jaguar did any changes in 1950.
Yes. I think it’s probably been closer to 5 years ago.
Yes, Gunmetal is certainly a metallic.
The metallics all were dropped when they changed from using nitrocellulose to synthetic enamel paint in late '52 according to SB114.
Metallics came back about 1961 I believe, but the '60s gunmetal is not the same as it was in the '40s.
From the Mark V and XK120 sales brochure:
While it’s true that Gunmetal is not listed here among the Super Sports colour schemes, it is in the Mark V Drop Head and Saloon lists, and the XK120 In Detail book by Clausager says 72 XK120 OTS and 45 FHC were produced in Gunmetal, but no DHC.
Terry mentioned Twilight Blue, which came along a bit later in '51; 38 OTS and 46 FHC in this color.
Blue Sheen appears to have been a special, only one car.
'48-'52 Pastel Green Metallic is definitely not quite like '53-on Pastel Green non-metallic.
As to license plinth beading, I’m not sure we ever arrived at a concensus on that, and there are not a lot of period color photos of the back end to help. It may depend on whether you have rubber or rexine beading there, rubber being unpainted.
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Dare we ask, do we know where the rubber/Rexine crossover occurred?
Don’t you dare ask. 
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I am brave 
For all steel bodied XK120s prevailing evidence clearly says…
Part number C.2944 SEAL (Rubber) around Number Plate Panel (5’ long).
These are always Black regardless of Body Colour, and I don’t think the period b/w photos of NHP533 says otherwise, nor do many original steel bodied survivors.
The debate is with the 1949/50 aluminium cars - the J.8 SPC still says C.2944 SEAL (Rubber) for all cars, but publication date is October 1950, six months after the last Aluminium XK120 had been made in March 1950, so I would suggest a strong possibility that the C.2944 Rubber Seal may well have superseded any suggestion of earlier cars having a Rexine/over rubber-tube seal painted Body Colour, at some point prior to March 1950.
There is nothing remotely equal to Urs Schmid efforts on detailing Aluminium XK120s, so what does he say…… Amongst all his research efforts, he does feature two aluminium XK120s, the bronze 670063 (Dec 1949) and the Pastel Blue metallic 660035 (Jan 1950). Urs maintains that ALL Number-Plate panel seals were this same rubber-seal, but the suggestion is was the rubber painted body colour or not, and he is unusually circumspect regarding any firm opinions!
From my train of logic - all cars made up to end of 1952 were painted in Cellulose enamel, and the boot lid was painted attached to the body shell. The Number-Plate Plinth was painted separately on a rack with other parts to be later assembled onto the body. I find it most improbable that black rubber seals would be pre-painted individually in a matching body colour, to suit each already painted plinth about to affixed to its already painted boot lid, nor indeed would Jaguar blow over a bit more colour over the black rubber after it had been assembled. But prevailing evidence is that the paint life of these cellulose painted XK120s was poor, with many being repainted within a year or so. Now how many repaints would have simply painted over the whole boot-lid/number plate plinth/black rubber assembly, so 50 years later restorers are now seeing body colour painted black rubber.
I await to see a 1949 to 1952 XK120 still with its original Cellulose Enamel paint in this boot-lid/number plate plinth/ rubber-seal area and if that sheds a contrary view, then lets see.
But until then my position is that all XK120 number-plate plinths should have a black rubber seal fitted, and not a body coloured rexine nor painted rubber seal.
Roger
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Hi Gary.
I can appreciate the dilemma.
Personally I would like it in the original combination you mention but if the owner doesn’t, and intends to keep it, then I would suggest choosing another period correct XK120 colour combination that they do like.
I have a similar dilemma with my '40 SS saloon restoration in Olive with beige trim. I hate beige.
Cheers, Graham
Hopefully newcomers will realize that this detail chasing is all part of the fun of this hobby.
Here are a couple more, an old B&W photo of a car believed to be a '53,
and a color photo of a very original 1950 car taken in the '90s.
and one of a barn find '52 car with 16,000 miles taken a few years ago.
BTW my own '51 car had an unpainted rubber bead when it came to me,
which I thought was probably original, until a couple of years ago I discovered the license panel had been changed, so I don’t know if the bead was changed or not at that time.
That out-the-wing exhaust treatment: factory, or AM?
I had a customer with a '51, who had that… always kinda liked it!
California custom, not factory.
[WZJ282] is the famous 1000 mile alloy car 670178
I have this reg number down as #671957
I feel better about painting my reg plate housing beading now!
No newcomer… but I do the same detail-chasin’ with Guild guitars…
I have painted as many as 10 test panels while on the color safari. I found/mixed 8 variations of British Racing Green for the TC/Special… the one I finished off in polished aluminum.
I didn’t like any of them.
For the 120, I’m planning to not like 9 variations of Old English White.
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There is aFord Courier “cream” that I used on the Auburn: it was a true cream, and looked great.
It might be called, ‘primrose.’
I’ve got that one.
…
Hi Rob
Been working all the time. That’s a great picture of the car. It’s resting this winter at the shop that painted it as a showroom decoration.
Dan
My 140 DHC was originally Suede Green with a Green interion and French Grey Top, a combination I love.