Always driver side, but photos may refer to LHD or RHD cars, hence the difference.
The FHC (1951 and later) may have had a retractable telescopic aerial. The specific construction of the early Radiomobile antenna (with an additional lower bracket fixation) will be difficult to find, but any chromed aerial with proper rubber grommet can do the job. Compare period photos and picture below.
3.Speaker type may differ : OTS had round speaker in a 8" square frame (Radiomobile early versions RMH.47785/H and later RM.93850B, also known as RMO.3600, Jaguar part C.4611) under dashboard but I guess that FHC had oval speaker in the lower side panels in front of vents, as per XK 140.This is probably Radiomobile RMH.35340/X which is typically 5 x 8".
Jaguar used a simple metal gauze in front of the speaker, fixed to the inside of the covering panel.
Just to be contrary, my Nov. '51 LHD FHC had the aerial on the Right Hand Side, a little more forward and more on the horizontal part of the wing from where Bob’s sketch shows it.
It was a straight non-retractable type, and was broken off when it came to me.
The car had a Radiomobile power unit behind the seats but the tuner under the dashboard was missing.
It has an oval speaker under the rear shelf panel on the left hand side, with a wire screen over it, which is covered by the moquette shelf covering material so you can’t see it at all.
Since this is a very early FHC, it is possible that the installation plan was not standardized when it came off the line.
The situation regarding the installation of Radiomobile gear in XK’s is extremely confusing, so I fully accept your description. The Installation Instructions as provided by Radiomobile per XK version differ per year and sometimes also differ from the way Jaguar installed them in the factory. Dealers may have installed them again in a different.way. I’ve used the Radiomobile instructions for the Model 4200 in the Jaguar XK 120 (1951-1952) but mentioned in my text already a lot of times the wording “may have”. But I’m surprised to read that you have the aerial on the RHS as Radiomobile promotes to install it always on the driver side. But again Jaguar may have had a different opinion…
I wonder if when Radiomobile promoted to install it always on the driver’s side, they were writing instructions as thinking only of the UK market and forgot or disregarded the existence of Left Hand Drive cars?
But I would more tend to think that the location of the aerial would be more closely related to the location of the cable socket on the tuner and the relative difficulty of running the cable from the aerial through the instrument panel to the tuner. Does the heater interfere with getting the cable into the cable socket on the tuner?
Not to confuse everyone, but another option in the placement of the antenna is on the back deck, passenger side. My 1953 FHC is mostly original with one repaint. It still has it original radio and the antenna looks to be original also. The radio has been upgraded so the amp unit is gone.
Congratulations with both your car as well as the beautiful original radio. I guess this is the Radiomobile HMV 4202, which was the version for the USA in 1953. I can’t see the EMITRON badge on the center push button so it might well be a Radiomobile branded version.
But an aerial on the back deck will have the longest distance to the radio receiver of all three options available from Radiomobile: side wing (fender), roof and deck.Therefore I guess this might well be a dealer installed Radiomobile radio set, fitted after the car had arrived in the USA. .
Page 97 of Clausager’s book “XK120 in Detail” shows a factory photo FHC 681385 with aerial on the wing of left (driver’s) side of this LHD car.
Also, can anyone else attest to Rob’s suggestion that the FHC had the speaker covered by the moquette shelf covering material? The parts book indicates a cloth speaker cover was used, but there is no mention of any differences at all between FHC, DHC, and OTS for any of the radio components, even though we know that in reality there were differences.
