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| Jaguar XK140 | |
|---|---|
| Name | Jaguar XK140 |
| Manufacturer | Jaguar Cars |
| Production | 1954–1957 |
| Predecessor | Jaguar XK120 |
| Successor | Jaguar XK150 |
| Class | Sports car |
| Body style | 2-door roadster, 2-door coupé |
| Engine | 3.4 L inline-six |
| Layout | Front-engine, rear-wheel-drive |
Jaguar XK140 The Jaguar XK140 is a British Leyland-era roadster and coupé produced by Jaguar Cars between 1954 and 1957. It succeeded the Jaguar XK120 and preceded the Jaguar XK150, combining Sir William Lyons-led styling refinements with mechanical improvements derived from Jaguar D-Type and postwar British motor industry engineering developments. The model became notable among Le Mans 24 Hours competitors, privateer racers, and affluent buyers in United States markets.
Introduced at the London Motor Show in 1954, the XK140 incorporated chassis and comfort upgrades responding to owner feedback after the XK120 era and to competition from Aston Martin DB2, Ferrari 250, Mercedes-Benz 300SL, and Porsche 356. The name reflected the continued use of the acclaimed XK engine and Jaguar’s tradition of incremental model evolution established by SS Cars antecedents and postwar corporate strategy led by William Lyons and William Heynes.
Development followed testing programs at MIRA (Motor Industry Research Association) and trials influenced by Le Mans 24 Hours endurance requirements. Designers led by Malcolm Sayer and engineers under William Heynes revised the XK120’s body contours, adding increased interior space and modernized appointments. Sheet-metal adjustments reduced draughts while maintaining the long-hood, short-deck proportions celebrated in contemporary Grand Tourer aesthetics. Chassis refinements incorporated stiffer cross-members inspired by developments in Formula One and sports car racing engineering, while suspension geometry evolved from earlier SS Cars and Nuffield-era practices.
The XK140 retained the 3.4-litre inline-six Jaguar XK engine with improvements: increased compression ratios, revised cam profiles, and modified carburetion via twin SU carburettor setups and optional triple-carb tuning. Power outputs varied with configuration, influenced by modifications similar to those used in D-Type competition cars. The car featured independent front suspension with coil springs and a live rear axle with semi-elliptic leaf springs, braking via drum brakes with optional Dunlop disc experiments in the period. Steering was by worm-and-sector or optional recirculating ball units, and transmissions included close-ratio four-speed manuals with optional overdrive developed in cooperation with Laycock de Normanville.
Jaguar offered the XK140 in multiple factory forms: the open two-seater roadster (sometimes specified as the "SE" for Special Equipment), the fixed-head coupé, and the drophead coupé convertible. The Special Equipment (SE) package echoed performance options familiar from Jaguar D-Type technology, adding dual exhausts, wider cross-ply wheel choices, and upgraded interior trim from suppliers like Connolly Leather. Factory coachbuilt bodies and aftermarket conversions by Eber and coachbuilders in Coventry also proliferated. Export versions for United States markets had revised bumpers and lighting to meet US Department of Transportation precursor standards of the era.
Tuned XK140s campaigned in events across Europe and North America, including club-level SCCA races and endurance rounds supporting 24 Hours of Le Mans test programs. Privateers optimized carburation and camshafts influenced by W.O. Bentley-era tuning traditions and drew on parts exchanges with Jaguar D-Type teams. Performance tests published in periodicals compared the XK140 against rivals like Aston Martin DB3S and Ferrari 166, highlighting acceleration, top speed, and handling tuned via upgraded dampers from suppliers such as Koni and brake improvements inspired by Girling developments. Notable entrants and owners included personalities from British motorsport and transatlantic privateers active in SCCA National events.
Manufacture took place in Coventry at Jaguar’s Browns Lane facilities, with production numbers reflecting steady export demand particularly to United States dealers such as those in New York City and Los Angeles. Sales strategies targeted affluent buyers influenced by Hollywood celebrities and press coverage in The Times and motoring magazines. Production constraints during the mid-1950s were affected by supply networks tied to postwar British suppliers and export currency policies managed by HM Treasury-era trade guidance, factors that shaped allocation between domestic and export markets.
The XK140 is prized by collectors and historic racers for its balance of period style, tunable XK engine performance, and factory options that bridge the XK120 and XK150 eras. Enthusiast communities, clubs such as the Jaguar Drivers Club and historic racing organizations, maintain archives, parts exchanges, and restoration standards. Auction results at houses active in Monterey Car Week and Goodwood Festival of Speed show rising values for well-documented specimens, especially factory Special Equipment examples and cars with documented competition heritage tied to events like Le Mans 24 Hours and Goodwood Revival. Preservation efforts intersect with historic vehicle regulations overseen by institutions akin to Historic England and heritage trusts focusing on British automotive history.
Category:Jaguar vehicles Category:Sports cars Category:Cars introduced in 1954