1955 Jaguar XK140 'Royale' - Joe Wilhelm

The XK 140 MC is a beautiful example of mid century custom design and performance. The Royal's long and colorful history begins when it was imported to the US in 1955, where it campaigned in 6 road races before being sold to Andy Anderson. Anderson’s goal was to modify the vehicle to create the best of both worlds, a show car and drag racer.
The engine was rebuilt by John Thompson of Paxton products, who arranged to use the jaguar as the prototype for a Paxton supercharger installation for Jaguars. The result, 312hp and 14.9 seconds in the quarter mile.

The body was created by the legendary metal shaper Joe Wilhelm in San Jose, California. Modifications include: Chopped top, one piece windshield, re-shaped and extended roof, glass sunroof, smoothed and shaved panels, extended hood and fender “catwalks”, handmade oval front grille, Marchal Optique Lemans headlights and driving lights frenched into the front fenders, bumpers replaced with nerf bars, cut away and teardrop reshaped fenders w/ polished chrome inserts, smoothed deck lid, filled fender seams, rear fascia extended, complemented by chrome wire wheels, chrome brake drums, and 12 coats Metallic purple and clear lacquer.


The Royale's beautiful interior includes a custom wood dash and instruments, high quality sound system, and plush black leather interior. Chrome plated tools included.


This fine automobile showed and placed in multiple Concours events in the late fifties, including two consecutive invitations to the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. It was Stored in the early sixties untouched, until 2004 when it was discovered. The Jaguar Royal is an example of the great design, craftsmanship, and performance of yesteryear, when Pebble Beach was “an automobile style show”

312 hp, 210 cu. in. supercharged inline six-cylinder engine, four-speed manual transmission, independent front suspension with torsion bars, live axle rear suspension with leaf springs and four-wheel hydraulic drum brakes. Wheelbase: 102"

- A consecutive Pebble Beach winner in 1957 and 1958
- Jaguar engine modified and supercharged by Paxton
- Numerous period awards, accolades and magazine features
- Fewer than 7,000 miles from new and beautifully preserved

Created by Joe Wilhelm for Charles “Andy” Anderson, the Jaguar Royale, as this XK140 is known, won consecutive trophies at Pebble Beach in 1957 and 1958. A class award followed at the first Hillsborough Concours d’Elegance in 1957, and in 1958, the Jaguar was the cover car for the 1958 Hillsborough program. Featured in the most important enthusiast magazines of its day, it also won the Judge’s Sweepstakes at the San Jose Autorama and was named one of the top-ten custom automobiles in the U.S. for 1958.

This survivor was first owned by Rod Carveth, who raced it before selling it to Anderson, who intended to create a drag racer/show car. A number of chassis and engine updates were made, before the Jaguar raced extensively for about a year. Meticulously maintained, the car also won seven first-place class awards and three Best in Show awards.

Anderson and his XK140 then caught the attention of John Thompson, head of the Paxton Products division of McCulloch Superchargers, who used the car to develop a Paxton supercharger installation for Jaguars. A C-type head, two-inch SU carbs and Isky camshafts were also installed, resulting in 312 hp on the engine dyno, good for 98.68 mph and 14.9 seconds in the quarter-mile.

San Jose, California’s Joe Wilhelm extensively modified the body. Many supplementary instruments were installed, the interior wood was highly polished, and the car was re-trimmed in black leather. A few years later, Wilhelm modified the body further, creating the car’s final form as seen today. Anderson sold the car a year or so later, and the new owner stored it until early 2004. Other than new chrome wire wheels and re-chroming, the Jaguar Royale Coupe is exactly as last modified by Joe Wilhelm in the late 1950s. With remarkable paint, running great and sounding wonderful, the Royale Coupe carries a fabulous history and remains a true time capsule.