Jaguar Cars launched the XK140 at the London Motor Show in October 1954 and it remained in production until 1957.

Rather than being an uncompromised sports car, the 140 was a much more comfortable and capable long-distance machine than its predecessor, the XK120, and featured a raft of improvements over the earlier car.

The styling was enhanced with a revised grille with fewer and thicker slats 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 with the interior space enlarged to allow the addition of occasional rear seats for the Fixed Head Coupé.

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 w...