This 1957 Jaguar XK140 is a significant undertaking as a project, suffering from years of outdoor storage. The seller notes it is a rare automatic transmission-equipped example, but that the original engine and transmission have been removed. A spare drivetrain consisting of a non-matching engine and automatic transmission are included with the sale, and photos in the eBay listing indicate it wasn’t too far from becoming a road-going example before the project stalled and the Jaguar was left to rot. Find it here on eBay with bids over $6K and no reserve.
Now, the automatic may not get most people excited, and I can understand why: this is the kind of vehicle that was built for a manual transmission. Ironically, though, I recall a scenario a few years ago when a local shop I used to patronize had a gorgeous XK140 that was fitted with a manual transmission and the owner wanted to change it out for a slushbox! Turns out his wife “needed” a car of her own and that was the only way she’d drive it. The shop quickly learned that sourcing an original automatic transmission was not something easily done. It went downhill from there.
Wow – the interior of this Jaguar is truly ravaged. I can’t quite tell if it became a parts car at some point, or if the weather alone has caused the dash to disintegrate like that. If the seller’s recounting is true that it went outdoors in 2006, this is a testament to how quickly Mother Nature will take over if left to her own devices. The listing does not include any other photos, so I would assume there’s not much else worth seeing. How does the automatic transmission matter in this equation – is it so rare that a collector would be missing such a vehicle, or is it just obscure with no added value?
Now, the seller includes this picture as a reference to what the Jaguar once looked like. That’s an incredible amount of deterioration, from the paint completely fading away to the wire wheels losing their finish. While it’s likely that the car was in less-than-stellar condition to begin with – perhaps even with a very low quality paint job – it’s still a bit jarring to see how much worse it looks simply by virtue of sitting outside exposed to weather. While there may have once been a decent starting point to work with, this XK140 is likely a permanent victim of being put out to pasture.
Very sad that someone would take the initiative to start restoring such a remarkable car as this could be then stand back over the years to see it denigrate and disintegrate into north more just a rusty metal shell resembling something worthwhile.
Any rips or tears in the upholstery?
Never heard of an auto transmission being available in a jaguar xk of this vintage.
May it rest (rust) in piece…
I don’t think the seller is including the automatic transmission with the car. Re-read the sellers description. He says “another XK 140 comes with it, automatic replacement gearbox also available”. Any potential bidder would be wise to clarify what the seller means.
It’s rough, at least it’s a “no reserve auction”, so it will sell.
Steve R
Never heard of an auto transmission being available in a Jaguar XK of this vintage.
May it rest (rust) in piece…
Would be a fun project. Having done a 140MC FHC and half way into a 120 OTS, those tempted should either be skilled in all the disciplines or have a fat account to tap without regard to ending equity position. My guess is that she will, indeed, sail from Savannah for a European port to be rebuilt with cheap labor in Greece or similar locale.
What’s up with 140FHC on the trailer?
Terrible.
Just terrible.
No other words will do.
Don’t even want to know why, how, or who
It’s restorable, but its going to take a while.
Shhhhh…don’t tell BHCC or Gullwing Motors about this one.
Too late. A flatbed was dispatched today. Taking bets on who gets there first.
I just don’t get it. Heres an owner with the apparent means to provide a reasonable storage for this classic and then puts it out in the elements to rot. Whatever proceeds are received from this car should be donated to the local high school auto shop.
Heartbreaking.
Sitting outside in a lake?
Time for a Chevy 283 with Tri-Power and Muncie 4-speed. Forget restoration, it needs a Tijuana Tuck and Roll.
While it is obviously upsetting for everyone to see a car get neglected like this, none of us know the owners past or present situation. I’m sure they are/were more upset about it than anyone here. I began restoration on my 64 gto when I graduated high school in 95. Then my dad lost the house, my girlfriend got pregnant, and it went into a temp garage at my grandmothers house. Few years later it came with me when I bought my house. Built a good career and life, raised my son who will soon be 22. The car is currently in my garage, that I built, and I will finally be working on it again in the next few weeks. Want to get it into primer by summer. Thankful I was able to keep it after all these years
A sad state indeed. Rare?, probably, but not do much when new. Jaguar used Borg-Warner’s DG250 auto developed for Studebaker though by ’56 Stude had switched to its Flight-o-matic variant, based on Ford’s Ford-O-Matic. So parts are out there though pricey.
yes there where some automatic trans then i know had one Fred
I would SO love to put a modern Jag IRS in it, a Buick Turbo V-6 and a 6speed in this. Custom interior. Sometimes they are too far gone to restore, but a resto-mod? Hell yeah!
Junk. Couple of parts
Call it an opportunity to have some fun with a classic Jag without going crazy with a restoration or trying to keep purists satisfied that you aren’t vandalizing an historical antiquity. If you screw it up it won’t be any worse than how you found it.
Drop in a Cadillac 365 and call it a Caduar!
Perhaps it was in a pond since 2006?
What sort of barbarian restores a car like this to near running condition and then leave it to rot without so much as a tarp on it to keep the worst of the weather out of it. I want his/her head on a plate.