One of the more difficult things to do when assessing the value and desirability of a vintage car is factoring in prior race history. There are numerous vehicles at any given time that have participated in some seriously cool races; however, it’s not always a guarantee of future value. The experience of using an old car to compete in a legendary race is undoubtedly worth noting, but it doesn’t necessarily translate to big bucks come sale time. This 1955 Jaguar XK140 listed here on Facebook Marketplace participated in the famous La Carrera Panamericana race, and was one of several XKs owned by its former owner that were used for racing.

You can see on the passenger fender the name “Judy Veale,” and a quick Google reveals all sorts of information. For one, her husband, Tom Veale, was the backer of numerous XK race cars as seen on this profile page on Jag-Lovers.org. The photos show that Mr. Veale owned both roadsters and coupes that were used in competitive settings. Sadly, Veale passed away following an accident involving a scooter when riding near his summer home in Lake Como, and I’m guessing his wife unloaded the race cars when she returned home with their kids. The photos on the above referenced web page show different numbers on the doors from the storied Panamericana, so it stands to reason it ran in the event more than once.

One thing that always irks me a bit when people sell race cars is how there’s sort of an assumed “history transfer” that goes along with it. I feel there should be a disclaimer where you acknowledge you didn’t actually maintain the car for racing purposes, or acquire the necessary training to participate in a grueling, multi-stage race; you simply picked it up from the estate sale. Regardless, I would feel confident based on the photos showing Tom Veale sawing at the wheel of numerous vintage Jaguar track cars on a variety of tracks would translate to the vehicles themselves being properly set up for racing – even with the obvious refurbishment required after years of dormancy.

As the seller notes, the title reflects the name of the original owners, which is almost certainly going to show Tom and/or Judy Veale. The Veales resided in Sarasota, Florida, and with the Jaguar currently residing in Nokomis, FL, it hasn’t traveled far or really had much of anything done with it since trading hands. The current seller speculates it will probably just need a “…fluid change and a battery” to run, which seems optimistic. The price has dropped a few times, going from $57,000 to $48,500, so it seems the market is speaking regardless of how intriguing its prior race history is. What value would you place on a car’s past competitive use? Thanks to Barn Finds reader T.J. for the find.