Editor's Note: Thanks to RM Auctions, Monterey Car Week has a beautiful 1956 Jaguar XK140 Roadster to put on display for our readers. When I was a teenager, I almost sold my 1955 Chevy Bel Air Convertible so I could purchase one of these beautiful vintage sports cars. Now I wish I had. This one sold at RM Auctions Monterey event in August 2013 for $151,250. The one I almost bought was going for $4,500 or best offer and was a daily driver back in 1976. How times have changed.
Photo Credit: Pawel Litwinski ©2013 Courtesy of RM Auctions
190 bhp, 3,442 cc inline DOHC six-cylinder engine with C-Type cylinder head and dual SU side-draft carburetors, four-speed manual transmission with overdrive, transverse wishbone front suspension with torsion bars and anti-roll bar, solid rear axle with semi-elliptic leaf springs, and four-wheel hydraulic drum brakes. Wheelbase: 102 in.
Jaguar XK140
- Equipped with the desirable “MC” package
- Body-off restoration by Jaguar specialists
- Accompanied by a JDHT Certificate
Introduced in 1954, the Jaguar XK140 retained the model’s classic lines, now protected by sturdier bumpers for better protection, and added new finish features. Major changes were mostly mechanical and included an engine that was repositioned three inches forward on the chassis, affording additional passenger room and space for the battery in the front fender well and freeing the area behind the seats for a jump seat or additional storage. Newly available was the so-called “MC,” or Special Equipment, engine modified with a C-Type cylinder head; ordering this engine also resulted in the installation of fog lamps, a dual exhaust, J headlights, a windshield washer, and overdrive. With their increased performance and stylish features, these models are the most desirable XK140s to be found today.
This rare XK140 MC Roadster is an elegant example of an iconic era of Jaguar motor history. With sleek and timeless styling throughout, it is ready for your favorite driving experience, at your favorite venue.
The Roadster received a body-off restoration completed to very high standards by Jaguar professionals. It is elegantly finished in a very rare color combination of Imperial Maroon over beige and is riding on chrome wire wheels with wide whitewall tires. Beginning with an original California black plate car, the body was stripped to bare metal and placed on a rotisserie; it was metal finished, leaded, and properly primed; and it was sealed, painted, color-sanded, and buffed to a fabulous finish. The interior, windshield, top, and side curtains are all new and correct, and all brightwork was replaced or replated as necessary. All mechanical systems and components have also been gone through, restored, or replaced as necessary. The engine, transmission, rear axle, and suspension were rebuilt to factory specifications, along with the chassis, and other parts have been refinished correctly. All other systems, including the electrical, hydraulic, cooling, and fuel systems, were restored or replaced; the car received all new rubber and seals and a complete, new wire loom. The car is in exceptional mechanical condition and has seen limited test mileage since restoration.
This Roadster is accompanied by photographic documentation of its restoration, as well as a Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust Certificate. Recently, this XK140 MC was an award winner at the 2013 La Jolla Concours d’Elegance, attesting to the quality of its restoration. This MC Roadster is truly a car for the discerning Jaguar collector—a Special Equipment car that is, indeed, quite special.
