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1955 JAGUAR XK140M COUPE Chassis No. A814141DN Engine No. G2919-8 Gearbox No. JLE28252 Body No. J4208 This xk140 (Special Equipment) fixed head coupe, with the 3.4 litre twin overhead camshaft engine, is one of the few remaining examples of this magnificent sports car. Only 1, 965 of the xk140fhc were built in Coventry between 1954 and 1957. I became the fourth owner when I acquired her in 2002. At that time, she had accumulated 138, 212 miles. Olivia, as she came to be known, now resides in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Having spent the first 47 years of her life in California, she was virtually free of corrosion and most of her components are original. In 2008 she was subject to a complete bare metal respray in deep Indigo Blue. At that time most of the exterior chrome was also refinished. During my stewardship of this lovely numbers matching machine, I have spent over 20, 000 to keep her fit and looking good. Mechanically, she is superb. In 2012, my son-in-law and I drove her from Edmonton, across the Rockies and Coastal mountain range, ferried to Vancouver Island in British Columbia, to the Jaguars on the Island Concours in Victoria. She scored 9.925 out of 10 in the driver category. (The .075 deductions have since been taken care of). We then drove her back home, a total of 1, 650 miles, without a hitch. She is one wonderful automobile that I had hoped to pass onto my granddaughter but, guess what? She, like so many youngsters these days, doesn't care for or appreciate old British iron. I’ll buy her a Honda or something like that which she will appreciate much more. So it’s time to let the old girl go to someone new who will care for her. Provenance Olivia was built on April 1, 1955 and shipped to the Los Angeles dealer June 13, 1955. The first owner, a J. Jarrat, apparently a UAL pilot stationed in San Francisco, purchased her on July 13, 1955. He kept her for 4 years then sold the car to Eugene Haunch. Mr. Haunch kept her for the next 40 years. In the 60’s she periodically appeared at various car shows in Southern California as evidenced by show tags she still wears. By 1975, she had amassed 118, 847mi and an engine overhaul was undertaken. 5 years later with 130, 616mi on the odometer, the cylinder head was redone. Shortly thereafter Mr. Haunch decided to store her for a few years. In 1988, following an indeterminate number of years in storage, Mr. Haunch decided to resurrect Olivia and installed new tires, wheels, splines, etc. Brakes were redone and the car was brought back to an almost new state. Notwithstanding a few paint chips and some crazing, she was not repainted. She looked good enough to appear at several car shows in the 90’s. He kept the car for an additional 11 years before selling it, with the odometer now reading 134, 090 mi, to its third owner, a Mr. David Olson of Oakland California. She was driven about 4, 000 miles during his ownership (including participation in the California Mille). When I purchased her in 2002 she had 138, 218 miles under her belt. Now, 12 years later, she has now traveled nearly 145, 00 miles and is still going very strong. Mechanical · The Good o Engine, gearbox, and chassis numbers all match the body number as attested by the DJHT certificate. o Oil pressure runs at 40-60psi under load. Drops to 20-30 when idling hot. o Overheating, even in California, is not a problem due mainly to the installation in 1990 of a Ford flathead alloy radiator (looks original). o Cylinder pressure good on all six cylinders. o Overdrive works beautifully. o Carburetors recently overhauled. o Stainless steel exhaust system. o Suspension overhauled and working fine. o Wheels, knock offs and tires and battery still like new. · The not so Good o There is a minor oil leak from the rear of the engine. (It’s British). o The SU carburetors require occasional tuning and adjustment. o The Moss gearbox with non-synchro first gear, takes some getting used to. o The drum brakes and rack and pinion steering are not power assisted, and clutch pedal is firm, so one has to work at driving her in tight quarters. Body · The Good o Absolutely rust free. o Doors, bonnet and boot lid fit perfectly. o Bare metal repaint in 2009 in deep Indigo Blue with clear coat. o Having seen her stripped bare, and as photos attest, there has never been any damage or repair. o Most chrome surfaces were re-plated in 2009. o New glass in windshield. o New seals and weather stripping everywhere.
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