Description
- Elegant XK140 FHC finished in its factory-correct Birch Grey
- Retrimmed red leather interior with desirable 2+2 layout
- One of just 843 right-hand-drive Fixed Head Coupés built
- Current owner since 2018
- Well maintained and upgraded with a five-speed gearbox
- Original Moss gearbox included in the sale
- Featured in The Automobile
This example benefits from a strong history file, an engine rebuild in 1998, a sympathetically fitted five-speed gearbox for improved usability, and a bare-metal respray carried out during the current ownership to return the car to its correct factory colour scheme. The result is a very handsome, highly usable classic that remains true to the original character of the model.
This XK140 was built on 6 July 1955 and first registered on 16 July 1955. It is a genuine UK-market right-hand-drive car, with the chassis number confirming it as a 1955-built RHD Fixed Head Coupé. The car has had six registered keepers, with the current owner having acquired it in August 2018.
It comes with a Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust certificate confirming Birch Grey as its factory colour. The car was previously blue, before being changed to silver in 1994, and was later returned to its original Birch Grey finish during the current ownership. It is still recorded by the DVLA as silver, which the next owner may wish to amend.
Included in the sale are the V5C, factory handbooks, a handwritten history summary covering the period from 1998 to 2015, and a folder of supporting history and maintenance documents. The car is also registered as a Historic Vehicle. In addition, it featured in The Automobile, with a copy of the article included.
The original Moss gearbox is also included with the car.
Finished in Birch Grey, the car presents very attractively and suits the restrained, elegant lines of the XK140 particularly well. The paintwork is generally in very good condition, with only minor signs of age and use such as light marks and scuffs. The bodywork presents well overall, with good panel fit and tidy shut lines.
The chrome trim remains in good order, with only light age visible around the grille. The steel wheels are painted in body colour and fitted with chrome hub caps, all showing only light signs of age. The car sits on classic-style Michelin tyres.
Inside, the cabin is trimmed in red leather and offers the desirable 2+2 layout. The interior remains in good condition overall, with only a few minor age-related points noted, including areas on the driver’s door card and footwell carpet. The wood veneers present well in the photographs, with no obvious signs of deterioration.
Additional interior features include a rear storage box, a four-spoke steering wheel and a period radio. The boot is neatly trimmed in red vinyl and appears in good condition. When the car was resprayed in 2018, all new window seals were also fitted.
During the current ownership, the car has been carefully maintained and sympathetically improved for more enjoyable modern use. Most notably, it has been fitted with a five-speed manual gearbox in place of the original Moss unit. This transformation makes the car much better suited to modern roads, allowing more relaxed cruising, especially at motorway speeds. For buyers who value originality, the original gearbox is included in the sale.
The current owner also commissioned a full bare-metal respray, returning the car from silver to its correct factory finish of Birch Grey. As a result, it now appears in the same colour combination it wore when it left the factory.
Further upgrades include the fitting of a Kenlowe fan and new front disc brakes, improving both cooling and braking performance while preserving the car’s period character.
Power comes from Jaguar’s famous 3. 4-litre XK straight-six engine. As with all XK140s, this model benefited from the improved specification that helped distinguish it from the earlier XK120, including larger SU carburettors, twin exhausts and modified cylinder heads.
The history file records that the engine was rebuilt in 1998, and MOT records suggest that only limited mileage has been covered since. Since that time, work has also been carried out to the brakes and suspension. The replacement gearbox was installed in 2003, with the original four-speed Moss unit retained and included in the sale.
This is a rare and very appealing Jaguar XK140 Fixed Head Coupé — a genuine UK-supplied right-hand-drive car, finished in its correct factory colour and backed by an impressive history file. With its rebuilt engine, tasteful usability upgrades and included original gearbox, it offers a compelling balance of originality, rarity and drivability.
