2023-06-14 10:31:42 | pauls writes:

Car offered at:

www.carandclassic.com/auctions/1956-jaguar-xk140-ots-34se-gzWlOn

Seller's description:

1956 Jaguar XK140

Colour Red

Odometer 72,201 Miles

Engine size 3400

Seller Type Trade

Town Madrid

Country Spain

Older restoration by marque specialists carefully maintained to very high standard

Desirable matching-numbers ‘SE’ model with C-Type head and 210bhp

Part of a large classic car fleet owned by distinguished Spanish collector and maintained accordingly

Valid Spanish ITV and registered as a Spanish Historic Vehicle

Chassis number confirms that this is a SE specification car, 1956 and 247th from last built

Jaguar factory dashboard plaque was fitted to all SE Roadsters from mid 1953

Owned by an important Spanish classic car collector as part of a large fleet

Restored in UK by marque specialists Marksdane as confirmed by a plaque on the dashboard

Imported to Spain in the early 2000s and registered as a Spanish Historic Vehicle in 2003

Valid Spanish ITV

The Interior

Older interior restoration in very original condition including beautiful four-spoke wheel

Correct 141.5mph speed record plaque fitted by factory to SE Roadsters from mid 1953

Plaque confirming restoration by marque specialists Marksdane understood to be prior to 2000

Bench-style black leather seats with red piping showing characterful patina

Tonneau cover included

Boot carpet and trim in good condition

Leather dashboard and dials in very good condition 

The Roadster version of the XK140 was the body style that most closely mirrored those Le Mans-winning race cars, hence the simpler and more driver-focussed arrangement of the interior. There is no wood veneer here, just a quiet focus on the things that matter - the dials and the controls.

The interior of this 1956 Roadster is in very good condition, its gentle patina of age adding to the character of this handsome 67 year old car. The dashboard, with its leather-trimmed centre console containing the array of dials, is in very good condition and the dials similar, appearing to be original. There are two plaques fitted - one by the factory acclaiming jaguar’s 141.5mph speed record in 1953 and which was fitted to all SE Roadsters, the other by Marksdane, the car’s restorers. 

The big bench-style individual leather seats are trimmed in black leather with contrasting red piping and are in good, undamaged condition but with light creasing and discolouration typical of age. Arguably this adds to the car’s character. The carpets, including the boot trimmings, are in similarly good, lightly aged condition.

Both door cards with their clever pockets are in good condition, the passenger side still sporting its leather grab handle while the driver’s side has a replacement chain in place. 

The Exterior 

Attractive red high quality paintwork in very good condition with only light signs of age

Older restoration by Marksdane with clear evidence of quality in the finish and panel fit

Chrome wire wheels with matching spare on quality Firestone tyres

Underside in very good condition and car has valid Spanish ITV

Black fabric roof in very good condition with no visible deterioration 

The XK140 cleverly transformed the flowing lines of Jaguar’s race cars into a beautiful shape that didn’t just sell cars in showrooms but was practical too. The Roadster has a good size boot as well as a roomy cabin.

We understand that this 1956 car was restored by marque specialists Marksdane and a plaque on the dashboard confirms this. At the time of writing we did not have access to the work undertaken but a cursory glance at the bodywork on this car is surely enough to convince that it has been comprehensively restored to a high standard. The door shuts and panel lines are superb and the paintwork clearly applied to a very high standard. 

The restoration appears to have predated the car’s arrival in Spain in 2000 and has held up remarkably well, only a few very minor marks detracting. There are a few small stone chips on the front and small chips on both nearside arches. This likely reflects its life in a dry climate and ownership by a well known collector who has clearly cared for it without worrying about the expense. The removable fabric roof is in similarly good condition.

The underside of the car reflects the top and the car carries a valid Spanish ITV.

The Mechanics 

3.4litre Jaguar XK engine in 210bhp ‘SE’ specification

4spd manual ‘Moss’ gearbox

SE models were fitted with the C-Type head, twin H8 carburettors, twin exhaust pipes and beefier torsion bars

Seller states that this is a matching numbers 

The irreducible connection between Jaguar’s on-track and on-road cars lies in the XK engine at the heart of this beautiful Roadster. A remarkable engine that remained in production into the 1980s, the 3.4litre displacement is often acknowledged as one of the engine’s sweetest iterations. 

SE models like this one extended the race track connection by utilising the C-Type head. This desirable enhancement, along with other modifications, upped power to 210bhp to make the XK140 one of the fastest cars on the road at the time. A plaque on this car’s dashboard claims that it is in the same specification as Jaguar’s 1953 speed record-winning car. 

This car arrived in Spain in 2000 and has been in the long term ownership of a well known classic car collector since. His fleet of classics is maintained by his own in-house mechanic and we understand that this car has been started and driven each day. The seller states that there are no mechanical defects.