1959 Jaguar XK150

The final incarnation of the Jaguar's 'XK' series of sports cars arrived in 1957, and it represented a progressive development of the XK120 and XK140, wearing an evolution of their design and endowed by a 3.4-liter engine and four-speed Moss transmission of its predecessors. Its body was wider and provided increased interior space and improved visibility courtesy of a single-piece wrap-around windscreen, replacing the prior XK140's divided screen. The increased width was achieved by means of a four-inch-wide central fillet. Many of the XK120 and XK140 pressings were retained by the XK150, and it wore a higher front wing line and broader radiator grille. The Dunlop disc brakes were the biggest performance feature of the new model, as the drum brakes of the previous XK had often suffered 'fade' from repeated stops from high speed. With the disc brakes installed, the XK now had the stopping power to complement its prodigious straight-line speed.

When the XK150 was introduced in the spring of 1957, body styles included a fixed and drophead coupe. The open roadster version arrived the following year. The engine delivered the same 190 horsepower as the XK140 and the performance remained similar. The 'Special Equipment' and 'S' versions had a 210 and 250 horsepower version respectively, with the more potent version capable of accomplishing zero-to-sixty mph in 7.3 seconds and had a top speed of 136 mph. The 'S' engine had a Weslake-developed 'straight-port' cylinder head, high-compression pistons, triple 2' SU carburetors, and twin electric fuel pumps.

Transmission options included overdrive and Borg-Warner automatic gearbox, with the latter becoming an increasingly popular selection. Steel wheels were standard but many owners opted for the E (Special Equipment) specification with center-lock wire wheels. The chromed Jaguar mascot was optional for the first time on the XK and a Thornton Power-Lok limited-slip differential was available for the XK150S.

The 3.8-liter engine, first used by the Mark IX saloon, became available in the autumn of 1959. The 'standard' state of tune delivered 220 horsepower while the 'S' specification increased horsepower to 265 bhp. The 'S' came standard with overdrive.

Production of the Jaguar XK150 began in 1957 and continued through 1961 when it was replaced by the E-Type. By the time production ended in October of 1960, a total of 2,265 roadsters, 2,672 drophead coupes, and 4,445 fixed head coupes were built. The total production was 9,382 units. In comparison, the XK140 was produced from 1954 through 1957 with 8,937 units built, and the XK120 built from 1948 to 1954 had the highest production level with 12,055 units built. The total XK120, XK140, and XK150 production were 30,374 examples. The XKE (E-Type), built from 1961 to 1975, was constructed in three series. The first series was built from 1961 to 1968 with 38,419 examples built, far surpassing the total XK production. Series 2 XKE models were built from 1968 to 1971 with 18,809 examples built, and the Series 3 (1971 to 1974) had 15,287 examples built.

by Daniel Vaughan | Mar 2021