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Few sports cars wear their pedigree as well as a Jaguar XK, and this 1957 XK140 MC Roadster makes a strong case for the breed. Offered on Hagerty Marketplace as part of the second round of the Samuel L. Peters Collection, the Dove Grey two-seater is one of an estimated 90 MC roadsters built during calendar year 1957. With 13 bids in and the high bid sitting at $35,500, the auction closes Tuesday, October 6 at 2:10 PM EDT.
The Right Kind of Refinement
The XK140 arrived in 1954 as the successor to the XK120, keeping the famous double-overhead-cam straight-six while addressing comfort and usability. The "MC" designation is the North American name for the car Jaguar called the "SE" in the United Kingdom, and it pairs the 3.4-liter six with the C-type cylinder head, larger valves, higher-lift camshafts and twin 2-inch SU H8 carburetors. The result is 210 horsepower, about 20 more than a standard XK140, sent to the rear wheels through a four-speed manual.
The body remains hand-crafted and unapologetically focused on the driver, with sturdier bumpers and overriders than the XK120 wore, a rack-and-pinion steering setup, chrome wire wheels, Lucas fog lamps and full leather bucket seating. This car is finished in Dove Grey over an Imperial Maroon leather interior, a combination that reads as period-correct and quietly dramatic.
Documented, Numbers-Matching and Ready to Enjoy
What makes this roadster especially appealing is the paperwork. A Jaguar Heritage Trust certificate documents it as an SE/MC car, with the engine and gearbox stampings matching the certificate. The car was completed on October 17, 1956, before being delivered to America. Service records run from 1995 through 2018, and the listing includes a tool roll, tonneau cover, soft top and side curtains with a storage bag. It is represented by a Broad Arrow Auctions specialist with a clean Ohio title in the current owner's name, and the seller states the odometer reading of 70,100 miles is original.
The listing is also refreshingly upfront about the one item that needs attention: the soft top has been stored closed and unattached for years, so it will need to be stretched and the frame adjusted so the top, frame and side curtains fit together properly. Hagerty's gallery runs to 144 photos, along with running and driving videos that show the six starting, idling and pulling away.
A Collection With a Story
The car comes from the estate of Samuel L. Peters, a man whose life reads like a screenplay. After serving in the U.S. Air Force, he paid his way through college hustling pool halls, went on to build more than a dozen companies, won two national handball championships, and finished 10th in the 2013 Peking to Paris Car Rally. A collector with that kind of appetite for motoring adventure is exactly the sort of previous owner you want behind a sports car like this.
In-person previews are scheduled for Saturday, October 3 and Sunday, October 4 by appointment, with FaceTime walk-arounds available for those who cannot make the trip to Cincinnati. The winning bidder will need to collect the car by Sunday, October 11.
A genuine MC-spec XK140 with Heritage documentation and a driver-quality presence is hard to find at this price point so far. If you have been waiting for an entry into early Jaguar ownership, this one deserves a close look. For more classic Jaguar coverage, see our stories on Ricardo Montalbán's Ghia-bodied 1956 XK140, a no-reserve 1952 XK120 Roadster and a documented 1975 E-Type V12 Roadster.
