1956 Jaguar XK140 SE OTS, Overdrive, Matching Numbers

Overdrive

Matching Numbers

Jaguar Heritage Certificate

In the 1950s, Jaguar enjoyed tremendous success in motorsports. Among other things, the manufacturer won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1951 and 1953, as well as three consecutive races from 1955 to 1957.

In addition to the racing cars, the English also produced road sports cars such as the XK120 and, from 1954, the further developed XK140, which were equipped with the same 3. 4l inline six-cylinder engines as the legendary racing cars.

The 140 stood for the sensational 140 mph (225 km/ h) that Jaguar achieved during a high-speed test in Jabbeke, Belgium.

The XK140 was one of the fastest production cars of its time and could keep up with the much more expensive sports cars of the era from Ferrari, Maserati and Mercedes.

There were three different body variants: the closed “Fixed Head Coupe”, the comfortable convertible with a lined soft top “Drop Head Coupe”, and the sporty roadster with an emergency soft top and plug-in windows “Open Tourer Sports”.

The OTS accounted for 3, 347 units, the majority of which were exported to the USA.

This also applies to our car, which was delivered to Jaguar Cars in New York on October 24, 1956.

According to the Heritage Certificate, it was also ordered with the coveted "SE" (Special Equipment) trim. This included Lucas fog lights, a dual exhaust system, wire-spoke wheels, and a windshield washer system.

Additionally, our vehicle was ordered with an overdrive transmission, which resulted in lower engine speeds at higher speeds.

The matching numbers engine is still installed in the vehicle and is doing its job reliably.

Purchased in restored condition by the last owner in Germany about 15 years ago.

Receipts and invoices from this period are available.

The car has always been registered for the last few years and has been presented to the TÜV every two years.

TÜV new until July 2027