Lot Ended
Description
One of only 480 made in RHD; later converted to LHD; tens
of thousands spent on Historic Rally upgrades including
five-speed gearbox, power steering, disc brakes, bucket seats and Brantz rally
trip meter; FIVA papers; a matching numbers car in wonderful condition
throughout
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). Special Equipment (SE) XK140s came with a C-Type cylinder head which
boosted power to 210bhp, along with wire wheels and Lucas fog
lamps.
A close-ratio gearbox (with optional
Laycock de Normanville overdrive) 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 luxuriously trimmed cabin was also notably roomier as the
engine and bulkhead were now three inches further forward, a modification which
created space for two occasional rear seats and 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 coupe, roadster and
drophead. A total of 8,956 XK140s were made before it was replaced by the larger
XK150 in 1957, of which just 2,790 were Drophead Coupes, only 480 of them in
right-hand drive.
This particular XK140 is of
those RHD cars which left the Browns Lane works in June 1955 finished in Pearl
Grey with French Grey hood, Red interior trim and manual overdrive gearbox.
Originally registered as XHN 860, it was destined for distributors Glovers of
Ripon and was retailed by Sherwood Brothers of Darlington to first owners
Aycliffe Laundry Ltd, Darlington.
The extensive history file shows that
by 1991 it was owned by a Dr Rosenmayr of Vienna which is presumably when it was
converted to left-hand drive. From 2000 – 2011 it was owned by a Mr H Danby of
Winthrop Hall in Suffolk who rebuilt it to Historic Rally specification with
bills on file totalling some £58,000.
This
included work undertaken by John Danby Racing totalling some £30,000, including
strengthening the body; fitment of power steering; uprating the brakes; setting
up the suspension; Hayward & Scott exhaust; Guy Broad louvred bonnet; JD
Classics 5-speed gearbox and adjustable struts/dampers; uprated starter motor;
pedal box; 10” clutch kit; recored radiator; Brantz rally trip meter; Varley red
top race battery plus much else besides.
The
engine was rebuilt by Scholar Engineering in 2003 with new pistons, liners,
bearings, crankshaft, timing chain etc at a cost of £3,150. It was also rolling
road tuned and fitted with braided brake hoses and various other upgrades which
added another £3,500 to the bill.
Issued with
FIVA papers in May 2001, it took part in numerous historic rallies including the
Welsh Rally in 2010 and the Three Castles, always being prepped and maintained
by John Danby Racing between events.
In 2011 Mr Danby sold the car via
Bonhams and it then had one further owner who also sold it via Bonhams at the
prestigious Goodwood Festival of Speed auction in June 2015. You can view the
auction listing here if you copy and paste the link into your
browser:
https://cars.bonhams.com/auction/22723/lot/377/1955-jaguar-xk140-drophead-coupe-chassis-no-807157dn-engine-no-g3939-8/
The current owner acquired the car at that auction, the
invoice showing that it cost him £81,880. He promptly sent it to XK specialist
Twyford Moors of Clanfield where another £24,800 was spent on the car including
a new wiring loom, 123 electronic ignition, work to the suspension, tidying up
the bodywork and fitting new bumpers (see photos for full details). A new set of
MWS International chrome wire wheels shod with new Blockley tyres were also
fitted at around the same time which cost another £2,194.
There are lots of invoices for subsequent upkeep, most of the work
being carried out by Autochek of Thakeham Garage in Storrington who looked after
all the classic cars that the current keeper owned (the Alvis TD21 DHC elsewhere
in this sale also comes from the same stable – Lot 1).
This included an
annual service and check-over at MOT time, the most recent service being carried
out in September 2023 at 79,756 miles, which included lubrication of all the
grease points, since when only 21 miles have been added to the odometer due to
the declining health of the owner.
Aside from all
the invoices, other documentation includes FIVA papers; Austrian registration
documents and invoices; photos of the car in the past; correspondence; handbook;
lubrication chart and a Heritage Certificate which confirms that the engine
currently in the car is original to the chassis, making it a ‘matching numbers’
example.
There are also 13 old MOTs which show the mileage rising from
59,950 in May 2001 to 77,800 in October 2019, the odometer currently showing
79,777 miles. A Sportline stopwatch is also present, with fixings to attach it
to the dash (see photos). At the time of writing, the V5C could not be located
but we hope to have this in time for the auction.
Judiciously uprated at great expense, this pampered XK140 has been
starting promptly and running sweetly as we have moved it around on site, (once
one has mastered the fuel pressure regulator.) As you can see in the
photos, it is in really super condition throughout and is only for sale due to
the declining health of the owner. Given that it has bills for well over £170k,
it looks an absolute steal at the modest guide price suggested.
Consigned by James Dennison – 07970 309907 –
james.dennison@brightwells.com