1955 JAGUAR XK140 SE OTS, RECENTLY RECOMMISSIONED, FASCINATING HISTORY

1955 XK140 SE OTS

Cult Classics & Detailing are excited to
present for sale, this fast road modified 1955 Jaguar XK140 SE.

The Car

Finished in Old
English White with contrasting Maroon interior our XK is the more desirable
Special Equipment model with C-Type cylinder head and manual / overdrive
transmission It has quite few mechanical modifications and has just undergone
an extensive recommissioning at XK legends, Guy Broad in Coventry.

The History

The car comes with a fascinating history,
as is the way with classic cars, a lot of it is word of mouth and there is not a huge amount of documented proof but here is what we know..

Manufactured on 24^th
October 1955 and like most XK140s, ours was bound for the USA. It was
despatched to Hornbury of Sunset Boulevard, Hollywood where it lived a quiet
life cruising the strip!

Fast forward 30 years
and the XK has moved east to Cleveland Tennessee and is living a much more
exciting life. It is now being raced, quite successfully in VSCCA events
piloted by Jim Foley. The car raced in these events between 1986 and 1994, it
was then passed on to WEC and Le Mans driver Pierre Honegger who competed in
both the VSCCA and in France. The XK was then returned to the USA and was used as
a road car for a short period before finally coming back home to the UK in 1999.

Purchased from Retro
Classics, the XK received its first UK registration in December 1999 and was
kept by its owner for the next 24 years as part of his private collection.

The
Mechanicals

As you would imagine
the XK has been extensively modified for its time as a classic race car. The
engine was built by renowned American Jaguar racer, Carl “Tivvy” Shenton and
features a shot-pressed and stress relieved crank, JE pistons, high lift cams
and a set of   John Miller tubular headers. Further
modifications included Girling front disc brakes and 5 point racing harnesses.

Since this work, the
car has benefitted from further engine work from VSE Engineering in June 2005.
This included an upgrade to VS01 specification which comprised of block liners,
new high lift cams, uprated water pump, electronic ignition, a pair of huge H8
carburettors and Facet high pressure fuel pump.

When we acquired the
XK it was still very much in racing trim, with AVO coilover suspension and 2.5
degrees of negative camber on the front wheels! This set up was fine for full
chat into the switch backs at Laguna Seca but not so pleasant cruising the
A46!!

So we despatched the
car to Guy Broad with the brief to keep its ex race car feel but to make it a
little less hardcore. He replaced the entire front suspension with new top
arms, bushes and steering rack mounts. The rock hard coilovers were replaced
with a set of GAZ adjustable shocks all round and both carbs were stripped and
rebuilt with new needles and intake trumpets. Whilst it was there we also had
the brake servo replaced with a correct Lockheed item, a new alternator and had
the sills re undersealed.

The XK now drives
fantastically, it is very fast and sounds amazing, which always did but the
ride and handling are now transformed, it now feels like a properly set up
XK140 should feel like. It is as pleasant as it is exhilarating to drive now
and will never fail to put a smile on your face.

The
Exterior

Subject to an older
restoration, possibly back in its racing life, our XK still presents well, it is displaying a lovely aged patina, there are a few chips and cracks to the paintwork but these
just add to its character and enhance its ex race car looks. One thing that is
lacking, is any corrosion, on the body or the underside, please refer to the
underside photos on our website.

 It sits on its original wire wheels which are
all in excellent condition and still retain the original brass knock off
centres, these are shod in a matching set of Vredestein Sprint Classic tyres.

Despite being a open
top roadster, the XK comes with full wet weather gear comprising of a
convertible hood and door tops, all in very nice condition.

The
Interior

Finished in
contrasting Maroon the interior, like the exterior, has a lovely lived in
patina about it. The mats are a little threadbare in places but all the leather
is lovely condition. The dash houses a set of fully functioning gauges and is
topped off by that beautiful Moto-Lita steering wheel.

The
Paperwork

The XK comes with its
current V5 showing no previous UK owners, there is a comprehensive history file
including FIVA identity cards, it’s US title from its time in Tennessee, a
significant collection of invoices and receipts spanning the last 24 years of
ownership, a collection of old MOT certificates, literature on the car and some
old photos.

The
Conclusion

This is a great opportunity to own a truly characterful example of Jaguars sublime XK140, that is mechanically sorted and has a fascinating history. It is an exhilarating car to drive with an estimated
230-240 bhp on tap and that glorious close ratio manual/overdrive transmission.

This is a car that has
been built to be driven, it has just been recommissioned by Guy Broad’s team and is just waiting for its next grand motoring adventure.

As with all our classic and retro cars, we have described the Jaguar honestly and with transparency, drawing attention to the good points and the imperfections equally, allowing you to make an informed decision.

Viewing is highly recommended and can be done at our Tewkesbury HQ, Monday to Saturday by appointment.

If you require any further information, please do not hesitate to contact us, either via Ebay messaging, Email sales@cultclassics.uk or give us a call on 01684 210915 or / text / whatsapp on 07920 851312

 For loads more photos, please visit our website.

www.cultclassics.uk