1957 Jaguar XK140 SE Roadster

• Dispatched from Browns Lane in 1957 to Jaguar Cars New York, returning 60 years later
• A left-hand drive Special Equipment with matching numbers as confirmed by Jaguar
• Total, ground-up restoration in the UK including a complete engine rebuild
• Superbly finished in Ice Blue Metallic over Harbour Grey leather and Charcoal carpets
• The engine bay is a work of art. Chrome wire wheels and chrome luggage rack
• The owner's file contains a period XK140 spares catalogue, current UK V5c, old MOT certificates, copies from the Jaguar archives and detailed restoration invoices

Jaguar Cars launched the XK140 at the London Motor Show in October 1954 with a raft of improvements over its predecessor, the landmark XK 120. The styling was enhanced by a revised grille and larger bumpers along with new rear lights, which now incorporated the indicators. The handling was improved by rack and pinion steering and telescopic dampers and the interior space was enlarged to allow the addition of occasional rear seats.

The power unit remained Jaguar's well-tried, 3.4-litre, twin-cam six, which now produced 190bhp in standard trim thanks to higher-lift camshafts and revised porting. To ensure reliability, steel bearing caps replaced the previous cast-iron type. A close-ratio gearbox enabled better use to be made of the increased performance whilst a Laycock de Normanville overdrive became an option for the first time. Special Equipment (SE) XK140s came with wire wheels and Lucas fog lamps and could be ordered with an engine developing 210bhp courtesy of the 'C'-type cylinder head.

Dispatched from Browns Lane in January 1957, this left-hand-drive XK140 Roadster equipped to 'SE' specification was delivered new to Jaguar Cars New York. Some 60 years later, the XK made the return journey and upon arrival in the UK, the decision was made to set about a complete, ground-up, restoration. Pleasingly, its original engine remained in place and this was sent to a Jaguar specialist to be stripped, inspected and fully rebuilt, and a detailed invoice within the history folder shows a cost including ancillaries of over ú16,000. In the meantime, the bodywork was taken back to bare metal and completely refinished in a beautiful shade of light metallic blue. All mechanical components were either restored or replaced and the full rolling chassis prepared to be reunited with the rebuilt engine. The interior was beautifully re-trimmed in grey leather and new carpets fitted.

This sparkling XK now presents in showroom condition and is described as running and driving very well as you might expect. It's accompanied by the owner's file which contains a period XK140 spares catalogue, current V5c, old MOT Certificates, copies from the Jaguar archives and detailed restoration invoices.

Offered at a very sensible guide (the cost of restoration alone exceeds the lower estimate) this is an opportunity to own a very stylish, sought after and collectable Jaguar from a point in time when the world was very different. All that is left to do is to brim the tank, fill the picnic basket and set off on a beautiful sunny afternoon.