THE XK140 was destined to be a short-lived car, since in 1957 it would be replaced by the XK150. By then, the split windscreen style of the XK was looking old-fashioned and even more cabin space was required in order to keep the car competitive.
Extensive work was performed to ascertain how much space could be liberated without altering the inner structure of the bodyshell or chassis and it was decided that the upper body – the ‘glasshouse’ – could be widened by four inches, while a raised scuttle would create the perception of increased interior space as well as allow a better heater.
The wider upper body was matched by a wider bonnet with a raised centre filler while the wings were also reshaped and raised to meet the higher scuttle.
The revised upper edge of the wing was then reshaped to run horizontally into the
