1961 Jaguar XK150 Convertible S

The Jaguar Xk150 was the last in a line of sports car that traced to the original Jaguar XK120 unveiled at the Earls Court Motor Show in 1948. The XK150 was in production from 1957 through 1961 and was succeeded by an all-new Jaguar, the E-Type or XK-E.

The XK150 had a one-piece windshield and a wider grille, and by 1959 its 3.8-liter inline six-cylinder engine was pumping out 230 horsepower. This two-owner car, both living on the Monterey Peninsula, has been driven only 22,000 miles and remains unrestored.

This model represents the ultimate development of the XK-series cars prior to the advent of the XK-E. Three SU carburetors feed the 3.8-liter engine with valve actuation by dual overhead camshafts and a Weslake-developed 'gold' cylinder head. It is virtually identical in all specifications to the XK-E powerplant.

150-model Jaguars offered the poshest interiors of any XK to date, with the lavish use of leather throughout. These S-Series cars can be identified by the small 'S' on the forward edge of the doors, just behind the windshield pillar. The S has a top speed of more than 130 mph, overdrive is standard on the 4-speed manual gearbox, and Dunlop servo-assisted disc brakes are also part of the standard equipment. The 150S offers the owner/driver the combination of sparkling performance and handling blended with a level of comfort and luxury rarely encountered in thoroughbred sports cars of this period.