In 1954 Jaguar replaced their seminal XK120 with the slightly upgraded XK140. It used the same basic architecture as the preceding model but featured several interior and body upgrades including full-width bumpers, increased interior space and rack & pinion steering. As before, it was offered as an Open Two Seater roadster, Drophead Coupe convertible or Hardtop Coupe.
Fresh from their victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Jaguar used their competition pedigree to sell the XK140. The principle brochure said “All the accumulated wealth of knowledge and experience gained in the hard school of racing have been built into the new XK140 models which are powered by the famous 3½ litre twin overhead camshaft XK engine.”
Upgrades to the body included a new grill with fewer slats and an integrated Jaguar badge. Front turn signals were installed on top of the fenders and amber driving lights were positioned just above the bumpers. The rear trunk lid featured a new central chrome accent and badges that spelled out “Winner Le Mans 1951–3.”
To make more interior room, the engine, firewall and dashboard were moved three inches forward. This relocated the battery to the inside of the driver’s side fender. The result was increased leg room and more space for the occasional seats in the Hardtop Coupe and Drophead Coupe convertible.
Power was up slightly from the outgoing model thanks to the XK120’s SE package which had more aggressive camshafts and increased standard output to 190 bhp. The transmission ratios were slightly shorter and the front torsion bars were increased.
Options for the XK140 included wire wheels, a Laycock de Normanville overdrive and a Borg-Warner automatic transmission for the Hardtop Coupe and Drophead Coupe. Color options were Black, Birch Grey, Pastel Green, Pearl Grey, Pacific Blue, British Racing Green, Dove Grey, Suede Green, Red, Lavender Grey, Battleship Grey, Cream, Pastel Blue and Maroon.
An optional MC performance package used the C-Type’s competition cylinder head with 2-inch H8 carburetors to produce 210 bhp at 5750 rpm. Further upgrades for the MC cars included twin exhausts, a high-speed crankshaft damper, adjustable fog lamps and windscreen washer jets.
| type | Series Production Car |
| production years | 1954 – 1956 |
| built at | Coventry, England |
| price $ | $ 3,745 |
| price £/td> | £1,616 |
| engine | Inline-6 |
| position | Front, Longitudinal |
| aspiration | Natural |
| ignition | Lucas Distributor |
| block material | Cast Iron w/Aluminum Cylinder Head |
| valvetrain | DOHC, 2 Valves per Cyl |
| fuel feed | Twin SU Carburettors |
| displacement | 3442 cc / 210.0 in³ |
| bore | 83.06 mm / 3.27 in |
| stroke | 106 mm / 4.2 in |
| compression | 8.0:1 |
| power | 141.7 kw / 190 bhp @ 5500 rpm |
| specific output | 55.2 bhp per litre |
| bhp/weight | 133.61 bhp per tonne |
| body / frame | Steel Body over Steel Ladder Frame |
| driven wheels | Front Engine / RWD |
| wheel type | Steel Discs or Optional Spoked Wires |
| front tires | 6.00×16 Dunlop |
| rear tires | 6.00×16 Dunlop |
| front brakes | Drums |
| rear brakes | Drums |
| steering | Rack & Pinion |
| f suspension | Double Wishbones w/Torsion Bars, Telescopic Shock Absorbers |
| r suspension | Rigid Axle w/Half-Elliptical Leaf Springs, Telescopic Shock Absorbers |
| curb weight | 1422 kg / 3135 lbs |
| wheelbase | 2591 mm / 102.0 in |
| front track | 1295 mm / 51.0 in |
| rear track | 1283 mm / 50.5 in |
| length | 4496 mm / 177.0 in |
| width | 1562 mm / 61.5 in |
| height | 1334 mm / 52.5 in |
| transmission | 4-Speed Manual |
| gear ratios | 3.38:1, 1.98:1, 1.37:1, 1.00:1 |
| top speed | ~201.2 kph / 125.0 mph |
| 0 – 60 mph | ~8.4 seconds |
| 0 – 100 mph | ~26.5 seconds |
| 0 – 1/4 mile | ~16.6 seconds |
| fuel capacity | 52.99 litres |
