Lot 73: Jaguar XK140 SE Drop-head Coupe

Launched at the 1954 London Motor Show as the successor to the sensational XK120 which had appeared in 1948, the XK140 was broadly similar to the outgoing model but considerably more refined with a host of mechanical improvements. Under the bonnet the XK140 retained Jaguar's well-proven 3.4-litre twin-cam six, which now produced 190bhp in standard trim thanks to higher-lift camshafts and revised porting  up 30bhp from the standard XK120 and now capable of 140mph (hence the name). A close-ratio gearbox enabled better use to be made of the increased performance, as did stiffer torsion bars on the front suspension and new telescopic shock absorbers to the rear. Steering was also improved with the adoption of the rack-and-pinion set up from the Le Mans-winning C-Type racer. The superbly trimmed cabin was also notably roomier as the engine and bulkhead were now three inches further forward, a modification which also improved weight distribution and handling. External changes were limited to a wider radiator grille, rear lights incorporating flashing indicators, and larger bumpers front and rear. Three body styles were offered, fixed-head, roadster and drop-head, the latter being the rarest (and the most attractive) of all. A total of 8,951 XK140s were made before it was replaced by the larger XK150 in 1957, of which just 2,789 were drop-heads and only 479 were right-hand drive, with just 250 thought to survive worldwide. This particular car is one of those few survivors, a genuine right-hand drive drop-head coupe that was first registered in Cambridgeshire in March 1956 and had just one owner from 1980 to 2009. One of just 87 SE models with correct chassis stampings to prove, it benefits from an overdrive gearbox and may once have had a C-Type head (although not all SE models did). The engine currently fitted is not the original though it is a 3.4 XK unit that is correct for the period. Uprated to disc brakes all round, it also has an uprated high-torque starter motor fitted. Off the road between 1993 and 2006, the car is said to run and drive but has only done a couple of hundred miles in the last three years and may need some recommissioning before it can be pressed into more regular use. The chassis is said to be exceptionally sound, original and rot-free, but the bodywork would now benefit from some improvement. Due to have a fresh MOT before the sale (the last one expired in October 2008), this is a running restoration that should amply reward the sympathetic restoration that is now required.