Finally, after applying to the Motor Sports Association (MSA) to gain my FIA Historic Technical Papers (HTP), I received confirmation that the FIA in Geneva agreed that my XK140 Fixed Head Coupe had been granted its `Papers ` which were finally issued to me last Thursday the 8th July.

After a full inspection of the car by the MSA Registrar, my application was initially rejected due to the wheels appearing to look as if they were of a wider `Track`. So it was back to the drawing board. I changed the wheels back to 5" (J) wires and I also had to refit the cars bumpers once more if I wanted to enter Historic Rallies and the like.

So all`s well that ends well, as this car will now qualify for the Le Mans Classique. A little too late for this year`s Entry, but hopefully for 2012.

An XK140 FHC was the only Fixed Head to have raced in the Le Mans 24 hours in 1956, driven by Peter Bolton and Robbie Warshaw as a private entry, but with works support from Lofty England at Jaguar Brown`s Lane, by providing a `D` Type Head and a few more performance tweaks.

That XK140 was manufactured in 1955 and raced at Le Mans in 1956. My XK140 was also manufactured in `55 and first registered in 1956, as an original Right Hand Drive car before being shipped to Rhodesia, then finally returning to the UK.

In 2000 it was entered into the Peking to Paris Rally and made it home. In 2003 it raced for a season in the JEC Championship. As you all now know, I started racing it this year with some successes already. However, this year is to be used to ‘shake down’ the car and make it fast and reliable for the race seasons to come.

John D R