1956
The Jaguar XK140 was a sports car manufactured by Jaguar between 1954 and 1957, the successor to the hugely popular XK120.
Improvements included better brakes, rack-and-pinion steering, increased suspension travel and modern tubular shock absorbers to replace the old lever-arm design.
The XK140 was launched at the end of 1954 and marketed as a 1955 model. The main visual change was the larger front and rear bumpers with wide bumpers. Also new were modern indicator lights, controlled by a separate switch on the dashboard. The two orange lights above the front bumper were a distinctive feature of the XK140, until XK120 owners started fitting the same equipment. The front grille remained unchanged, but became a one-piece moulding with fewer, thicker vertical slats. The Jaguar badge was fixed directly to the grille, rather than between it and the bonnet as on the XK-120. A chrome trim strip ran across the bonnet and, at the rear, continued to the centre of the boot lid, where it featured a red shield with the words 'Winner Le Mans 1951-53' in gold lettering.
The interior was improved for taller drivers, with an extra 7. 6cm of legroom made possible by moving the engine, firewall and dashboard forward. The new layout removed the battery compartment from the XK120, and the single battery was now located at the bottom of the fender on the intake side, making it virtually impossible to replace.
The XK140 retained the famous Jaguar XK engine, fitted as standard with special modifications from the XK120, increasing power from 10bhp to 190bhp gross at 5, 500rpm. The special Type C cylinder head, taken from the XK120's catalogue, was also offered as an option, with a power output of 210 bhp) gross at 5, 750 rpm. A car with a Type C cylinder head, H8 carburettors, heavier front torsion bars and twin exhausts was known in the UK as the XK-140 SE. In North America, it was commonly known as the XK-140 MC. In 1956, the XK-140 was the first Jaguar sports car to be offered with an automatic transmission. As with the XK120, spoked wheels and twin exhausts were available as options, although most cars imported into the US were fitted with spoked wheels. Cars with disc wheels continued to be offered with mudguards closing the rear wheel arch.
The XK140 was available in three body styles. The OTS (Open Two Seater) roadster featured a lightweight fabric soft top that, when lowered, tucked behind the seats and disappeared completely inside the bodywork. The interior of the OTS was trimmed in leather and leatherette, including the dashboard. Like the XK120 Roadster, the XK140 OTS was equipped with removable canvas and plastic side curtains on the light-alloy doors, as well as a long or short tonneau cover to keep the cabin dry when the soft top was down.
12 Dec 2008
