UK Edition
The 1956 Jaguar whose Hollywood looks were beloved of Clark Gable: a rare XK140 goes up for sale
"We must sell the things we like, to buy the things we need.” This was the stern warning from a Pathé newsreel film called “Export or Die” that was broadcast to post-war Britain. “Dad wants a new wireless, Mother wants a sewing machine,” the voiceover said, before pointing out that luxuries such as these needed to be sold overseas in order that Britain could generate enough foreign currency to be able to import such everyday essentials as soap, cotton and tobacco.
One export that offered to help lift Britain out of its post-war penury was the sports car. When the millions of American soldiers that served in Europe returned home, many of them took back a taste for British cars that drove unlike anything they had seen in the US. When the American economy got up and running again with remarkable speed, this presented a great opportunity for British carmakers.
Jaguar – which swiftly changed its name from SS Cars to avoid any confusion with Nazi henchmen – had a bit of a head start. During the war the company was repurposed towards helping the Allied cause, but behind the scenes Jaguar was working on a brilliant new engine. That engine, the XK, was to bring great success at the Le Mans 24 Hours and evolutions of it were fitted to Jaguar road cars right up until the 1990s.
The first production model to be powered by the new engine was the XK120, a two-seater sports car available as a roadster or a coupe. The name came from the car’s 120mph speed – so unbelievably fast in 1948 that the Jaguar was constantly being asked to prove itself to a sceptical press and public, something it did consistently. Such pace combined with a beautiful, feline body meant that Jaguar had more orders than it could cope with, the majority from the US. The first customer to take delivery of his XK120 was a certain Jag-fancier by the name of Clark Gable.
The XK140, the car pictured here, evolved from the XK120. It had the same XK engine, but benefitted from a range of modifications – many learnt from Jaguar’s exploits on the racetrack – that gave more power and better handling. It also had a good bit more space inside, enough for a couple of small seats in the back. With excellent sleight of hand, that extra interior space was achieved without doing anything to spoil the Hollywood looks.
The fact that the XK140 was more accommodating while no less dynamic made it perfect for the US, which is where this example went, being supplied new in 1956 to the renowned Los Angeles dealer Charles Hornburg. Britain’s loss, perhaps. But hopefully by selling this lovely motor to the US, Jaguar managed to do its bit to help keep the British people fully stocked with soap and tobacco.
The 1956 Jaguar XK140 MC Fixed Head Coupe is Lot 149 in the Bonhams Greenwich Concours d’Elegance sale in Connecticut on 4 June 2017. Estimate $80,000 – $100,000 (£62,000 – £77,000) bonhams.com