Jaguar XK140
Jaguar's 1954–1957 XK sports car combined familiar styling with more passenger space, rack-and-pinion steering and a choice of open and coupé bodies.
Overview
The XK140 was Jaguar’s 1954–1957 sports-car model, succeeding the XK120 and preceding the XK150. Jaguar introduced it at the October 1954 Motor Show. It occupies its own model record within the XK sports-car family; its roof styles and Special Equipment versions are not separate generations. Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust’s XK140 history and model register.
Design and development
A seven-bar cast grille and more substantial bumpers distinguished the XK140. Moving the engine forward by three inches increased passenger room, while rack-and-pinion steering replaced the earlier arrangement. The coupés gained occasional rear accommodation. These were practical changes to a recognisable sports-car shape, reflecting the importance of everyday usability and North American customers. JDHT’s development account.
The car retained a separate steel chassis. Independent front suspension used torsion bars; the rear used leaf springs, with hydraulic dampers. Braking remained by hydraulic drums. The four-speed manual gearbox had synchromesh on the upper three forward ratios, and an overdrive version was offered. These features place the XK140 between the early post-war XK120 and Jaguar’s later chassis and braking developments. Jaguar Rules’ transcription of the period fixed-head coupé specification.
Production and chronology
XK140s were built at Browns Lane, Coventry, England. Jaguar had completed its move from Foleshill by November 1952. Browns Lane brought together XK body manufacture, painting, engine machining and assembly, and final vehicle assembly. The XK140 therefore belongs to the established Browns Lane period, rather than the earlier factory transition. JDHT’s Browns Lane history.
The Trust’s chassis guide records an early right-hand-drive fixed-head car in February 1954 and a left-hand-drive open car in September, before the October public introduction. These entries should not be read as simultaneous showroom availability for all versions. The same guide ends right-hand-drive open-car production in October 1956 and right-hand-drive fixed-head production in November; the remaining listed runs end in January 1957. These are calendar build dates, not a universal model-year schedule. JDHT’s 2017 chassis guide, hosted by Jaguar Rules.
Build and registration also differ. The Trust’s surviving fixed-head coupé XMB 599 was made on 8 March 1956 and first registered on 20 April. Its present red-and-white finish replaced the original Birch Grey and red specification during restoration. A surviving car’s appearance and registration year cannot by themselves establish its factory configuration. JDHT’s XMB 599 record.
Body styles
| Body | Character |
|---|---|
| Open two-seater (OTS), or roadster | Open body with removable side screens; the most popular XK140 body, particularly in the United States. |
| Fixed-head coupé (FHC) | Permanent roof, winding windows and occasional rear accommodation. |
| Drophead coupé (DHC) | Folding-roof coupé, distinct from the simpler open two-seater. |
The open car’s side screens should not be attributed to the whole range. The fixed-head interior included leather seating and walnut furnishings, giving it a different touring character. JDHT’s body-style and market account and period coupé specification transcription.
Engines, equipment and markets
The 3,442 cc six-cylinder engine, conventionally described as 3.4 litres, belonged to Jaguar’s XK family. The period coupé specification lists SU carburettors; the Trust’s standard open-car account quotes 190 bhp, compared with 210 bhp for the C-type-head specification. These are historical quoted outputs, not measurements of every surviving car. Period specification, JDHT engine record and JDHT power comparison.
Special Equipment did not always mean a C-type cylinder head. The archive guide distinguishes chassis prefix A for SE, also called XK140 M, from prefix S for SE with the C-type head, also called XK140 MC. An S engine suffix identifies the latter head specification; numerical engine suffixes record compression ratio. These equipment and engine distinctions sit below the model level and should remain separate from body style, steering position and production year. JDHT identification guide.
Transmission choice also needs recording independently. Jaguar’s factory-publication catalogue lists separate documents for overdrive-equipped cars (J.18) and automatic-equipped Mark VII and XK140 cars (J.19). The existence of an automatic version does not make that transmission standard across the range. Jag-lovers’ catalogue of original Jaguar publications.
Historical place
The XK140’s significance lies in adapting Jaguar’s sports-car formula for touring and export use, an interpretation of the changes documented in JDHT’s model history.
The XK150 continued the family from 1957; the E-Type followed in 1961. Neither belongs beneath XK140 as a trim or body derivative. JDHT’s model chronology.