The XK140
The final chapter of a legendary Jaguar
Long before the supercar era, Jaguar was building cars that made the world look at British sports cars differently. The Jaguar XK140 was one of them — and the 1957 example we transported comes from the final year of XK140 production.
Long before the supercar era, Jaguar was building cars that made the world look at British sports cars differently.
The Jaguar XK140 was one of them.
Introduced as the successor to the XK120, the XK140 combined the elegance that had made Jaguar famous with meaningful improvements in performance, handling and comfort. And the 1957 example transported by Top Auto Logistics comes from the final year of XK140 production.
The XK120 had become an international sensation. Jaguar had shocked the automotive world with a beautiful sports car powered by its advanced twin-cam XK six-cylinder engine.
The XK140 continued that formula but made the car more usable. Jaguar moved the engine approximately three inches forward, creating additional passenger space, and introduced rack-and-pinion steering. The XK engine was also uprated, with Jaguar quoting approximately 190 horsepower in standard specification.
The XK140 was offered in three basic body styles: Open Two-Seater, Drophead Coupé, and Fixed Head Coupé.
And production numbers were small by modern standards. Jaguar built approximately 8,956 XK140s in total.
The open two-seater was particularly distinctive, with only 3,356 produced. Jaguar's own historical collection notes that only 74 right-hand-drive open two-seaters were originally built, with the vast majority of the model's open cars destined for export markets — particularly the United States.
The year 1957 makes this car particularly interesting. Jaguar introduced the XK150 in May 1957, replacing the XK140 Drophead and Fixed Head Coupés.
That makes a 1957 XK140 part of a transition in Jaguar history. It represents the final chapter of a model that had carried forward the XK120's revolutionary design while moving Jaguar toward the next generation of grand touring automobiles.
The XK140 was particularly successful in America. The United States was an enormous market for Jaguar, and the company's open two-seater was especially popular there. Jaguar's own records show that the American market became the principal destination for the XK140 roadster.
That transatlantic history is fitting for Top Auto Logistics.
A British sports car born in Coventry. Built during the golden age of Jaguar. Exported into the American collector-car world. And decades later, entrusted to TAL for another chapter in its journey.
The XK140 isn't valuable simply because it is old. It represents a pivotal period in Jaguar's development.
It sits between the legendary XK120 and the XK150, carrying the DNA of one of the most important British sports cars ever built. Its long hood, wire wheels, low stance and XK six-cylinder engine are instantly recognizable.
But look closer and the car tells a deeper story. It represents the moment when Jaguar was transforming itself from a British manufacturer into an international performance-car icon.
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