Your Grandfather's Jaguar Was The Original Chick Magnet

It's hard to explain the timeless allure of a Jaguar XK 140 Drophead Coupe like this one, that's going to be at RM's Paris Auction. Certainly, the swooping lines and glimmering chrome represent the pinnacle of 1950s sporting looks, but it's more than that. There's a quirkiness to the Jag's beauty that makes it both aloof and sexy. So sexy that your Grandfather had a hell of a time not getting laid on every grocery run he took in it.

The car had some serious performance, starting with this 210 hp straight six, which was updated from the LeMans-winning C-Types of the early fifties.

And to ensure nothing harmed such a motor, they tied the hood down with a leather bow. Quirky.

The interior can be defined in three words: Quintessential. British. Roadster. The burled walnut dash is the stuff of legend, and the iconic Connolly leather on the seats and doors came from Scandinavian cows who lived indoors to stay both warm and away from barbed wire.

And yet, despite all the luxury, if you had the top up and wanted fresh air, you had to kick a scoop panel open with your foot. Quirky.

The one underlying constant, though, is the Jaguar's beauty. The curvature of the lines indicate just a slight nod to the importance of aerodynamics, while the placement of the headlights indicates a stoic indifference to said importance, which is partly why the 140 couldn't actually reach 140 mph.

Still, with the top down, the whitewall tires framing those stunning wire wheels, and nothing but winding roads ahead, it's one of the greatest cars ever to come out of Coventry.

Aaron Miller is the Rides editor for Supercompressor. He's a little obsessed, but not in a sitting-outside-the-dealership-at-3am-with-binoculars sort of way. He undergoes track withdrawal symptoms on a regular basis and writes about cars as a salve, and you can follow him on Twitter: @aaron_m_miller.