Barn Find 1956 Jaguar XK140MC Roadster

In Hanover, Massachusetts, on eBay is this needs-everything 1956 Jaguar XK140MC roadster. The dealer-owner says it comes with a factory-installed C-Type head and wants $29,500 (or best offer). In today’s market, that’s going to be a stretch. We’re told virtually nothing about the car, other than that it’s a barn find, has matching numbers, and comes with a clear title. They were available with an automatic, but this one appears to be manual. The wire wheels were an option. The standard discs were good-looking, too, and required less maintenance.

The challenge for “barn find” cars like this, often seen via vendors like Gullwing Motor Club and Beverly Hills Car Club, is that they’ve been “patiently awaiting restoration” and “aren’t running at this time.” That often translates to a huge bill awaiting any buyer with visions of killing it at the Greenwich Concours d’Elegance.

From what’s visible, the once-glorious Jaguar is covered with surface rust from bumper to bumper, has an interior in shreds with rusty floors, and almost definitely needs its engine, transmission, suspension and braking rebuilt. It appears reasonably complete. The manager of a prominent restoration shop pointed out to me just such a derelict in his shop. He explained that he could “its former life restore,” but the owner would surely lose a fair amount of money at resale time.

This car restored is a thing of great beauty and driving pleasure. The XK140MC, built between 1954 and 1956, was the performance model. The C-Type head on the double-overhead-cam 3.4-liter straight-six added 30 horsepower, bringing it from 190 to 210. Also part of the package were two-inch H8 SUs, toughened torsion bars and dual exhausts. Could it do 140 mph? Maybe downhill with a tailwind.

The XK140 model, of course, replaced the very popular XK120, and was introduced in late 1954 as a 1955 model. Departing from the 120, there were beefier bumpers with overriders and blinking turn signals. At some expense to the 120’s exquisite exterior styling, the 140 driver got three inches more legroom.

The Roadster model was a classic British issue, with ill-fitting side curtains that leaked like a sieve. Probably, few owners drive them in the rain now, so it doesn’t matter anymore. If you wanted more creature comforts with your convertible, roll-up windows!—You ordered the luxurious Drophead Coupe, which also came with a walnut veneer dash and door cappings. The only sacrifice was to the styling—the dropheads look bulkier.

Hagerty puts the base version of the XK140 fixed-head coupe in good condition at $55,700. The MC option adds $5,000, and our car gets points for being a roadster. Values are creeping up slowly. Bring a Trailer sold a just-lovely XK140MC for $84,000 in November of last year. Still, restoration is very expensive these days, especially on cars that need just about everything.