Lot 345: 1955 Jaguar XK140 Fixedhead Coupe

The XK120 appeared in 1948 and created an immediate furore. Its bodywork was a new departure in sports car design and this, combined with a top speed of over 120mph and the unbelievably low basic price of 998, resulted in an immediate demand which simply could not be met. The original intent had been for limited production, however, this quickly became full scale. The majority of cars went for export, with the North American market being insatiable. Competition successes are too numerous and well-known to need repetition here, but they set the scene for the remarkable Le Mans victories later on.Production of the XK140 commenced in 1954, it was essentially an improved 120 incorporating a number of worthwhile modifications including rack and pinion steering, a larger radiator, more powerful headlamps and better weight distribution due to a repositioned engine. Power was supplied by the superb six cylinder unit of 3.4 litres, which was basically the same as the special edition XK120 engine and thus capable of producing 190bhp at 5,600rpm compared to the 160bhp of the standard XK120.