Rusty 1955 Jaguar XK140 nearly clears €0.3M at an auction

A timeworn Jaguar XK140 kept in a barn over the past four decades suddenly sold for €287,500 in Knokke-Heist, Belgium, due to its sheer collector’s value.

The car is one out of only four examples coachbuilt by Turin-based company Ghia, and reportedly one out of only two to have survived to this day.

History is another factor that makes the car special. It was exhibited in Paris 65 years ago and was subsequently owned by none other than Roland Urban, a racing driver and Jaguar marque historian. Until the early 1970s, Urban used to drive it in various historic races, even overtaking a Ferrari 250 TdF in Monza once.

In 1979, the car degraded to a point when it needed a complete overhaul, so the owner put it into his garage and waited for an opportunity to begin restoration. Financial difficulties prevented him from ever starting the job, however, and it was ultimately his heirs who discovered the orphaned vehicle standing in a literal barn gathering rust.

Powering the exotic is a 3.8-liter inline-six engine modified to produce over 210 PS (207 hp / 154 kW).

Experts believe that, as expensive as a restoration effort might prove to be, it would be worth it for the added value alone.