Highlights

Ground up restoration costing in excess of £180,000
Offered at a fraction of that price
Rebuilt from the chassis up with no stone left unturned
Only driven 100 miles since restoration
Jaguar Heritage Certificate confirming numbers
Original and very appealing colour combination

The Appeal

Jaguar’s sports cars of the 1950s were supremely desirable when new, and they remain thoroughly sought after to this day. So being presented with a freshly restored example of an XK140 is certainly an exciting opportunity for any collector.

This particular example has been fully rebuilt, and comes with a photographic record of work undertaken. It was disassembled to a bare chassis and rebuilt to an exacting level of detail.

Repainted, retrimmed and mechanically restored, this Jaguar is a supremely desirable motorcar, which transports you back to the mid 1950s as soon as you step inside. It will make a fantastic addition to anyone’s garage and must be seen to be fully appreciated.

The History and Paperwork

Built on 18th January 1955
Dispatched to New York
Sold via the Hoffman dealership
Originally left-hand drive
Purchased by the current owner around seven years ago
The car has undergone a full restoration in recent years
Accompanied by an extensive history file
UK V5C
Heritage certificate
Originally supplied in Battleship Grey with a Gunmetal hood and red interior
Photographic records of full restoration from the bare chassis up
Extensive invoices on file for parts and labour
Only driven 100 miles since restoration

The Interior

Expertly trimmed red leather interior
Matching red carpets, showing no sign of wear
Converted to right-hand drive

Stepping into this XK140 must be a very similar experience to being in a Jaguar showroom in the 1950s. The recently completed restoration still looks fresh and unsullied by use.

Red leather swathes the seating, dashboard and door cards. It is expertly stitched and fits snugly and smoothly. There is a little light scuffing to the top of the passenger seat, but otherwise we couldn’t see any signs of use. Even the driver’s seat appears to be free from creases, which implies that this car has covered a very low number of miles since the restoration was completed.

The dashboard is well equipped with Smiths gauges and Lucas switchgear, all of which appears to be in untouched condition, with bold markings and clear glass.

To the rear, the spacious boot is fully carpeted, with leather edge-banding completing the luxurious appeal. A full size spare wheel sits below the boot floor and the wheel well appears to be very clean and tidy.

The Exterior

Superb resprayed paintwork
Excellent chrome plating
Beautifully clean underneath

The graceful lines of the XK140 are a sight to behold as they glide along the road. Its sweeping wings and narrow grille are instantly recognisable as being among the very best in 1950s automotive design.

This car has been rebuilt from a bare chassis, with expert attention being paid to its structure, bodywork and paint. The result is a reassuringly clean, straight and smart car all round. The only issue that we could see upon inspection was a slight dimple in the flat section of the front left wing, but this is barely noticeable.

A black hood provides weather protection and looks clean and tidy. It affixes to the split front windscreen and can be accompanied by sidescreens. The sidescreens themselves have not yet been fully trimmed, so are supplied as frames only.

Generally the chrome trim appears to be very well finished and highly polished. The front grille is a little pitted but this doesn’t detract from the car’s overall high standard of polish.

Underneath, the car is superbly clean and very well presented. The chassis components and body panels all look very smart and there is almost no dirt or dust to suggest that the car has been used. It runs on beautiful chrome-plated wire wheels with centre-lock spinners. They are highly polished and shod in a matching set of Avon radial tyres.

The Mechanics

Rebuilt 3.4-litre XK engine
Beautifully clean engine bay
Full mechanical overhaul

Under the narrow bonnet of this Jaguar lies its powerful XK engine, a straight-six masterpiece of engineering. Everything is presented ‘just so’ from the polished aluminium camshaft covers to the fresh-looking hoses and HT leads.

Items of note include the glass screenwash bottle and two-speed windscreen wiper motor. The engine bay is fresh, clean and tidy, benefitting from the car’s full respray. And there is almost no dirt or oil to be seen throughout.

The vendor informs us that the car’s mechanical components are all new or newly restored, and that it has only completed 100 miles since restoration.

Summary

Pretty much as close as you can get to a factory-fresh example of an XK140, without the need for a time machine, this car is simply superb. It is ready to grace the roads with its presence and will certainly be welcomed at any number of shows and events worldwide.

Notice to bidders

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