If this E-Type looks familiar to you, then you might have a copy of our 2013 calendar hanging on your garage wall. This 1963 Jaguar XKE was February’s featured find and there is a good story behind it. The guys over at Luxury Brokers International dug this one up in Philadelphia. Read the tale in their own words below.
If you have had the pleasure of reading one of Tom Cotter’s books
about the amazing barn find stories revealing big block Shelby Cobra’s and pre-war Mercedes-Benz’s, you would know that hidden treasures can be discovered in the most unlikely places. Although we did not find a 540K, we did discover two special little sports cars that provide the basis for our own unique story…
Based out of Philadelphia, we are always on the hunt for interesting, neglected cars, often peering down alleyways on the verge of rear ending another driver while being caught in the dense Philadelphia traffic. However, the lead for this particular discovery came from a friend who received a call from an elderly gentleman explaining how he had some old Jags he expressed interest in selling. We immediately raced down to the rough, crime prone, Kensington section of the city where lo and behold stood a 1963 Jaguar XKE paired with a 1955 XK-140 MC!
Thirty years of dust and grime covered each car with clear signs of rusting present from improper storage. None the less, we purchased these two project cars only to find out that the E-Type is rare in that it came black with black interior and tinted glass from the factory. The 140 was also rare in its own right with matching MC engine, factory grey with red interior, and overdrive. This goes to show you that even in densely populated, urban settings there are still a few gems to be resurrected from a deep slumber.
Thanks for sharing this one with us guys. We look forward to reading more about the XK140 in November and hope you will keep us updated on any new discoveries.
~ i hadn’t even gotten the email notification when i clicked BarnFinds and flipped my calendar to last month to compare. this experience and Cotter’s engrossing stories teach us one very important lesson, keep your eyes and ears open. like the X-files line- ‘the truth is out there’.
What does MC stand for in the XK140 and what does it mean?
Just a guess, but Motor Carriage?
~ according to Gary Anderson ; Sports Car Market Magazine,
the Jaguar factory literature has always referred to the XK 140 with the optional upgrades as an SE, for “Special Equipment,” and never “MC.” This is also the nomenclature recognized by the Jaguar clubs.
The confusion apparently arose because Jaguar had offered an “M” trim package for U.S.-market XK 120s that added wire wheels, a dual exhaust, and fog lamps. The 140 was available with those upgrades plus the C-type head, so the American press referred to the whole lot as an “MC” package.
The MC was Jaguar’s North American designation for an upgraded version of the XK140. In the UK it was designated “SE” for special equipment.
The actual upgrade was the “C-type” cylinder head from the Jaguar C-type roadster and achieved about a 10% improvement in both horsepower and torque. Carbueration was via larger SU carbs (dual H8 vs H6 on the standard Xk140
About ten years ago, I was traveling on one the more traveled streets in the city I live next to when I spotted a Devin sitting back in a driveway. I had never noticed it before. It was there for the rest of the summer at least.
Now, i automatically search that driveway as I go past that block.
I live to walk down alleys and look in garages as I pass. There is boat loads of cars still to be discovered. Sometimes they are advertised and the folks just want it gone. Everyday is like a treasure hunt.
Yes my third eye never sleeps…. Last summer I met up with some old friends & fellow sports car guys from back in the day, well one of the guys bought from an elderly fellow an Allard ( not the J2 ) about 20 years ago in the Bronx NY it was sitting in a wharehouse, he paid a grand for it.
My son lived next door to an old widow about a year ago. Try as he might, he could not make friends with her. She is just a mean old lady. Anyway, she occasionally forgets to shut the side door on her garage…and I can see amidst all the boxes and stuff is stored a white MGA! It’s an older house, older neighborhood. The car has probably been there from back when her husband used to drive it. Can’t see that much of it, but it’s definitely and MGA. Still trying to come up with a line that might work at the front door?!
Try to find out what she likes….chocolates….flowers….a plant for her yard, and buy her some for a holiday like Easter. That will give you an excuse to give her something. Wave and say Hi the next time you see her. Then wave and say Hi the next time, too. If those things get a positive response, ask about her husband…what he was like, what he liked to do. Ease up gently to the subject of the car. If it doesn’t work, at least you tried. Good luck.
Frustration is being offered the opportunity to purchase a 1932 Packard Roadster covered, up on blocks, properly greased with a note that said the engine would run but needed to be rebuilt. Frustration because my employer had a strict rule that employees could not buy or receive as a gift anything from a customer. Same thing happened with a customer and her Volvo 1800S. Good luck to Doug M. and his son and the MG.
Chris,
And pray-tell, HOW would that stop you from telling a Friend or Family member to step in and purchase it in your behalf, naturally with a side contract.. Sheesh