[Leica] Jag. XK 140

[lrzeitlin at aol.com (lrzeitlin at aol.com)]

 Peter,?
Unless you have a of time and a fat wallet give a Jaguar XK 140 a pass. It 
may be a nice showpiece but it makes a very bad users car. I owned one of 
these, a bright red Jag convertible in the '50s. It may have been fast but 
it was one of the worst engineered cars I ever drove. The engine featured 
three SU carbs, one for each pair of cylinders, that were virtually 
impossible to tune simultaneously. The spoked racing wheels had a tendency 
to pop spokes on fast accelerations. Every time I tromped on the throttle 
pedal I could hear the ping of a spoke popping. The knock off hubs, while 
attractive, were almost impossible to remove. The steering wheel adjusted to 
variety of positions, none of them comfortable. The engine intruded on the 
footwell space requiring you to drive with one leg straight out, the other 
bent to a crouching position. Eventually one of the brakes failed and could 
not be repaired, even by the California Jag distributor. Thr=e steering 
became so terminally loose that the car could hardly be driven in a straight 
line. It was a great babe magnet but it was a car that I was afraid to 
drive. Eventually I traded the Jag for an Alfa Romeo Sprint Veloce at a used 
car dealership. The Alfa had its own problems but was a joy to drive. Both 
the dealer and I were sure that we had cheated the other. On the other hand, 
if you can pick up a 3.8 liter Jag sedan,go for it. It is one of the best 
cars I ever owned. It's safer to collect old Leicas than old cars.
Larry Z