Lot 306: 1955 Jaguar XK140 Fixedhead Coupe

It was at the 1948 London Motor Show that Jaguar virtually threw the sports car world into turmoil with its stunning XK120. Here was a car with incredible style and looks, a powerful six cylinder engine installed in an outstanding chassis and a remarkably low price - a quarter that of a V12 Ferrari with similar performance. The combination was unbeatable and without doubt the Jaguar XK120 was an absolute milestone for both Jaguar and the motor industry as a whole. At the heart of the William Lyons-styled roadster was Jaguar's all-new 3,442cc, twin overhead camshaft, straight six engine producing 160bhp via twin SU carburettors - sufficient for 120mph and 0-60mph in 12 seconds. The XK120 was also endowed with fine roadholding, its steel body clothing a shortened MkV chassis employing independent torsion bar/wishbone front suspension and a semi-elliptic leaf-sprung rear axle, while brakes were all round drums. The XK120 became a massive success both on the road and the track where it scored numerous victories, the many drivers including Stirling Moss, Peter Walker, Peter Whitehead, Leslie Johnson and Ian Appleyard; indeed, in XK120C/C-Type form it won Le Mans in both 1951 and 1953 while its engine was to power three more Sarthe winners and a whole host of Jaguars right up to the present day. Succeeding the XK120 was the XK140 launched at the 1954 London Show. Visually similar but with a reshaped radiator grille with fewer, larger slats and 2+2 seating, thanks to engine and bulkhead being three inches further forward, a change which also realised almost 50/50 weight distribution, it remained mechanically the same but with suspension improved from lessons learnt on the race track. And now with 190bhp on tap, top speed rose to 110mph - or 129mph with optional overdrive and 210bhp special equipment engine - while the 0-60mph sprint dropped to 11 seconds. Having undergone a comprehensive restoration by highly respected classic Jaguar specialist Twyford Moors, which was completed in May 2000, this quite superb XK140 not only won the Best in Class award but also that for Best in Show at the Jaguar National Southern Day at Beaulieu in 2001 - the first such event in which it had been entered. Finished in Westminster Blue with Biscuit leather trim, it has also benefited during the restoration from upgrades including front disc brakes, chrome wire wheels, a cylinder head converted to run on unleaded petrol, an alternator, uprated windscreen wiper motor, a four speaker stereo sound system and a top of the range alarm. Immaculately presented, and with less than 8,000 miles recorded since the restoration, this truly show-stopping Jaguar is thus offered in excellent condition.