1955 Jaguar XK140 SE Coupé

• Desirable SE model
• Delivered new to the USA
• Brought back to the UK in 1989 and stored
• Professionally restored and upgraded 2017-2019 (almost £190,000 spent)
• Superb condition

Launched in 1954, the Jaguar XK140 was broadly similar to, though more refined than, its sensational XK120 predecessor, major engineering changes being confined to the repositioning of the engine 3" further forward and the adoption of rack-and-pinion steering as used on the racing C-Type. The suspension and brakes remained much as before, though with stiffer torsion bars at the front and telescopic shock absorbers replacing the previous lever type at the rear.
The power unit remained Jaguar's well-tried, 3.4-litre, twin-cam six, which now produced 190bhp in standard trim thanks to higher-lift camshafts and revised porting. To ensure reliability, steel bearing caps replaced the previous cast-iron type. A close-ratio gearbox enabled better use to be made of the increased performance while Laycock-de Normanville overdrive became an option for the first time. Special Equipment (SE) XK140s came with wire wheels and Lucas fog lamps, and could be ordered with an engine developing 210bhp courtesy of the 'C'-type cylinder head. XK140 performance was well up to the standards set by its exemplary predecessor, contemporary magazine road-tests regularly recording top speed figures in excess of 120mph.
One of 1,966 XK140 coupés made in left-hand drive configuration, this desirable SE model left the factory in August 1955 bound for Hoffman's in New York, USA. The car was originally finished in Pastel Blue with red interior trim and was equipped with the overdrive gearbox. Little is know of the car's history in the USA, although it was titled to one Craig Harper of Nashville, Tennessee in 1982. The XK was brought back to the UK in 1989. It then resided in a garage in the West Midlands for many years and there are photographs on file of it being craned out, normal access having been blocked by subsequent building work.
The current vendor purchased the 'barn find' Jaguar circa 2017 and commissioned renowned marque specialists Twyford Moors of Clanfield, Hampshire to undertake a full restoration. Carried out between 2017 and 2019, the rebuild cost almost £190,000. Desirable upgrades include power steering, front disc brakes, alloy radiator and header tank, alloy fuel tank, three-point seat belts, Bluetooth stereo system, and a tracker.
The XK has covered very little mileage since completion and is only offered for sale because the vendor's health issues mean he is no longer able to drive it. Presented in truly superb condition, this expertly restored and sensibly upgraded XK140 SE is offered with Heritage Certificate, a V5C registration document, and restoration bills and photographs.