conceptcarz.com

1958 Jaguar XK150

The Jaguar XK120 was the company's first sports car since the SS 100 production ended in 1939. It was introduced at the 1948 London Motor Show and designed by Jaguar Chief Engineer William Heynes. The first 242 examples built wore wood-framed open 2-seater bodies and were clothed with aluminum panels. Production soon switched to heavier all-steel in early 1950, and eventually offered in three body styles that included the open 2-seater, a fixed head coupe (from 1951), and finally a drophead coupe from 1953. Production continued until 1954 with 12,055 examples built.

The XK120 was followed by the Jaguar XK140 in 1954 and was produced until 1957. Distinguishable exterior changes to its illustrious predecessor included more substantial bumpers with overriders and dash switch-operated turn signals mounted above the front bumper. The grille was now a one-piece cast unit with fewer vertical bars, and a chrome trim strip ran along the center of the bonnet and boot lid with the celebratory words 'Winner Le-Mans 1951–3' enhancing the boot lid. the interior received additional room due to moving the engine, firewall, and dash forward by three inches. Power increased to 190 bhp in standard guise, and to 210 with the C-Type cylinder head installed. The total production reached 8,937 units with the majority being sent to the North American market.

The XK 150 was introduced in 1957 and remained in production until superseded by the E-Type in 1961. A total of 9,382 examples were built of which only 2,172 were left-hand drive 'open two seater' models. The roadster version is the rarest XK 150 model, now with roll-up windows and thorough weather protection. While the XK had become more 'civilized' it still retained the ingredients that made it special, including its powerful dual overhead camshaft six-cylinder engine. It even retained the traditional roadster's window sill dip and top that was fully enclosed when retracted creating an exceptionally attractive profile.

Revisions to the bodywork were subtle and mainly done to add interior room for the driver and passenger. The revised fender line made room for a wider cowl and windshield and fed into thinner doors that much-improved comfort. Disc brakes were added after their effectiveness had been proven by the C-Types at Le Mans.

The 3.4-liter dual overhead cam straight-6 XK engine was similar to its predecessors, but the new 'B' Type cylinder head raised power to 180 (SAE) bhp at 5,750 RPM. Following a twelve-month delay caused by a fire at the factory in February of 1957, the release of special equipment models was introduced in the spring of 1958. These models came with disc brakes and more powerful engines modified with twin 1.75-inch SU HD6 carburetors and a modified B-Type cylinder head with larger exhaust valves. Most of the export cars were SE models. An 'S' engine was also optional that included three 2-inch SU HD8 carburetors and a straight-port cylinder head boosting power even further.

As production was coming to a close, the 3.8-liter engine from the Mark IX saloon became available, boosting power to 265 horsepower. Four-wheel Dunlop 12-inch disc brakes appeared for the first time as an option.

production came to a close in October of 1960 after 2,265 roadsters, 4,445 fixed head coupés, and 2,672 drophead coupés had been built.

by Dan Vaughan

Roadster
Chassis number: S831083

The Jaguar XK150 was first introduced in the fall of 1957 and was intended to compete against the BMW 507 and Mercedes-Benz 300SL. It was the third and final evolution of its series and represented the best and most highly developed XK ever built. The design was similar to its predecessors with styling revisions that included the replacement of the traditional cut-down doors with a higher and more subtle beltline. The front aspect was modified with a widening to the grille and updates to the windshield with a more contemporary curved, one-piece version. The Open Two Seater (Roadster) also had the addition of roll-up side windows.

The XK150 was given power-assisted disc brakes at all four corners and powered by a dual overhead cam six-cylinder engine breathing through dual SU carburetors.

This 1958 example is one of only 1,297 examples of the 3.4-liter roadsters built. It is finished in red with black upholstery and has newly fitted carpeting.

In 2012, the car was offered for sale at the RM Auction in Scottsdale, Arizona. It was estimated to sell for $60,000-$80,000 and offered without reserve. As bidding came to a close, the car had been sold for the sum of $52,250 inclusive of buyer's premium.

by Dan Vaughan

XK-150S Roadster
Chassis number: T831867DN
Engine number: VS1715-9

This example is finished in red with black upholstery. It is an 'S' model as denoted by the chassis and engine numbers. The car was completed in December of 1958 and delivered the following year. The 'S' Models included triple SU HD8 carburetors, a revised Weslake-developed cylinder head and high compression pistons. The result was an engine that offered an impressive 250 horsepower. In total, just 888 examples of the XK150S Roadsters were produced to this specification.

This example has been given a two-year restoration that was completed in 2007. It joined the Oldenburg Collection soon after the work was done. It retains its factory tool kit and fitted leather luggage.

In 2013, the car was offered for sale at Bonhams Auction in Scottsdale, Arizona. As bidding came to a close, the car had been sold for the sum of $133,700 including buyer's premium.

by Dan Vaughan

Convertible

The XK150 is powered by a 3,442 cc, in-line, six-cylinder, double-over-head cam engine developing 213 horsepower with a top speed of 123 mph. It has a 4-speed manual transmission. The chassis consists of rack-and-pinion steering, front independent torsion bar and wishbone/rear live-axle with leaf springs, suspension. Four-wheel disc brakes proved a big advantage for stopping this 3,330 pound car.

The XK150 was produced as a styling stopgap between the XK140 and the revolutionary E-Type that followed in 1961.

The XK150 was the final version and most thoroughly developed of the early XKs. It made its first appearance in mid-1957, as Jaguar's response to recently introduced rivals like the BMW 507 and Mercedes-Benz 300SL. The XK150 was plusher and more civilized, and substantially restyled, with a re-contoured beltline, wider grille and a one-piece windshield.

XK-150S Roadster
Chassis number: T831359 DN

This XK150S was originally finished in black and was officially manufactured on September 12, 1958, and exported to Jaguar Cars New York just over two weeks later. The car has been repainted Carmen Red and its original 3.4-liter engine was replaced with a 3.8-liter motor which debuted in the D-Type race car and became available in the XK150 towards the end of the model's run.

By the 1980s, the XK was owned by Harvey Blake Jones of Nevada, whose untimely passing prompted his mother, Bonnie Kohler, to restore the car in his honor. In the 1990s, the car was purchased by Mathew Thomas, a principal at Hornburg Jaguar in Los Angeles.

This car was awarded a 2nd place award at the 1999 and 2000 Santa Barbara Concours d'Elegance and Best in Class wins at the 1998 XK150 National Event, the 1998 JOCCA Concours in San Luis Obispo and the 2000 JCNA Concours d'Elegance in San Diego.

In September of 2001 the car was sold to an East Coast collector who treated the car to engine upgrades and some mechanical freshening. Over the course of 2002 and 2003, the owner retained Vantage Motors of Stamford, Connecticut, to conduct almost $50,000 of mechanical work, including a rebuild of the engine with an increase in displacement to 3.8 liters, matching the specifications of the later, more powerful XK150 S examples. To accommodate the upgrade, other performance modifications were made on the camshafts, crankshaft, pistons, cylinder head, and flywheel, as well as the brakes, suspension, radiator and authentically restored the wiring harness.

In 2010, this Jaguar XK150 S was offered for sale at the Gooding & Company Auction held in Amelia Island, Florida. The car was expected to sell for $100,000 - $130,000. As bidding came to a close, the car had been sold for the sum of $104,500, inclusive of buyer's premium.

The new owner subsequently installed a new 5-speed gearbox. In 2012, the car was sold to its present owner, a New York based collector. Since that time, the car has been driven sparingly and serviced as needed.

by Dan Vaughan

XK-150S Roadster
Chassis number: S830856DN
Engine number: VS1205-9

This Jaguar XK150S has won more than 80 Concours awards over the past 15 years. Currently, the car still holds 100 point status with the Jaguar Club of North America. In 2012 it was National Champion, a position it has held since 1998.

This 'S', an original U.S. example, was built on July 3rd of 1958 and supplied to this country through Jaguar Cars New York. The first owner is not known, however it was delivered in Carmen Red paintwork with a black top and interior. It also had a rare close ratio gearbox and overdrive. It would be one of only approximately 200 cars which the company built to this specification.

Some records suggest this car may have raced in both the United States and Australia. It was discovered by the current owners in Pennsylvania in 1990. A restoration soon followed which consumed over five years from start to finish. The car was finished in Racing Green livery with a biscuit leather interior and cloth top. Since the work was completed, the car has been driven just 125 road miles.

by Dan Vaughan

Roadster
Chassis number: S837510DN
Engine number: NC5054-8

The Jaguar XK150 was a progressive developed of the XK120 and XK140. It retained the same basic chassis, 3-liter engine, and four-speed Moss transmission of its predecessors. It gained a wider body which allowed for more interior space and improved visibility courtesy of a single-piece wrap-around windshield. The new body used many XK120/140 pressings, the increased width being achieved by means of a 4-inch wide central fillet. Other visual differences including a broader radiator grille and a higher front wing line. Not as obvious were the Dunlop disc brakes which offered stopping power to match its straight-line speed.

The XK150 was introduced in the spring of 1957 and originally offered in fixed and drop head coupe forms. The open roadster followed a year later. The 3.4-liter engine offered nearly 200 horsepower, the same amount produced by the XK140. Overdrive and a Borg-Warner automatic gearbox were the transmission options, the latter becoming an increasingly popular choice - a Thornton Power-Lok limited-slip differential was available for the XK150S.

This particular example is finished in Pearl Grey with a red Connolly interior with a black convertible top. It was completed at Jaguar's Brown Lane, Coventry works in June of 1958. This Drophead Coupe was configured for the Canadian market as a left hand drive example. It was distributed through Jaguar of Eastern Canada with its first recorded owner being Mr. John Owens. The subsequent history is not fully known. The car was given a refurbishment by Louisiana based Tourist Trophy Garage in 2001, at which point the car was in the car of an individual from New Orleans. After the work was completed, the car earned Best in Class at the New Orleans British Car Day, and subsequently declared Best in Show. Since 2011, the car has resided in a prominent, mid-western based collection.

by Dan Vaughan

XK-150S Roadster
Chassis number: T831629DN
Engine number: VS1543-9

This Jaguar XK150 has the 'S' specification motor which offers 250 horsepower. It is finished in Carmen red over black and was dispatched from the works on November 26, 1958 to Jaguar Cars, New York. Its first owner was Mr. J. Bergstrom Cocoa Beach, Florida. It wears an older restoration and was finished in its original color scheme.

by Dan Vaughan

XK-150S Roadster
Chassis number: T831825DN
Engine number: VS1681-9

Fewer than 900 examples of the 3.4-liter XK150 S were produced. They featured SU carburetors, straight-port head, upgraded camshafts, and a lightened flywheel. Late-production XKs were equipped with Le Mans-proven Dunlop disc brakes.

This particular example was completed at the factory on November 27th of 1958 and dispatched for the United States on December 22. It was originally finished in cream with red upholstery with body-colored wire wheels, and was devoid of fog lamps, whitewall tires, and radio.

The car has been given a comprehensive restoration to JCNA concurs standards. The car was brought to bare-metal and re-finished in the original factory color of cream and the interior was properly trimmed in red leather and the instruments were rebuilt. The work was completed in July 2012 and was entered in many JCNA events, culminating in first place at the biennial Challenge Championship in September 2015.

by Dan Vaughan

XK-150S Roadster

This is a true barn find that was purchased disassembled. The rolling chassis was located under the barn. The engine and transmission were in the chicken coop and the body was on a homemade jig made out of water pipes. The rest of the car was in boxes in the upper part of the barn. It was last on the road in 1978. It is a matching numbers car and is an early 'S' built in the first few weeks of production and therefore does not have the 'S' emblem designation. The high performance 'S' version was the final 3 carb engine upgrade for the XK series and then used in the E-type. The restoration was completed in August of 2016. The car is finished as it was last driven with stone guards, wood steering wheel, fog lamps and radio.

The 250 hp engine is a water-cooled double overhead cam 6-cylinder displacing 3.44 liters coupled to a 4-speed manual transmission with overdrive.

Coupe
Chassis number: S 835623

This XK 150 Fixed Head Coupe was completed on June 9th of 1958 and shipped to Jaguar Cars in New York City in July of that same year. It was titled as a 1959 model year vehicle. It is believed that the car was sold to a buyer in California, than to an individual in Louisiana, and it was fully restored in 2005 and given its model-proper Jaguar Satin Black paint scheme in 2014. Around 2015, it was acquired by its current caretaker, who has driven the car fewer than 100 miles.

This XK 150 is equipped with five factory knock-off wire wheels, including the spare, and rides on period-correct Coker Classic blackwall bias tires. The interior is all-red; there is an owner's manual, and a tool kit with a Thor hammer.

Jaguar built 9,395 examples of the XK 150 during the model's 1957 through 1961 lifespan. Just 638 fixed head coupes were produced in 1958.

by Dan Vaughan

Convertible

This Jaguar XK150 S was built in September 1958. The first registration of the car was in 1959 in the United States. The second owner parked the car in 1967 with 42,000 miles and it did not run again until after his death in 2010. A Greek collector bought the car and took it to Greece and had it recommissioned. It was then auctioned in Monte Carlo and restored. It was purchased by the current owner in the United Kingdom in 2013. It has a six-cylinder, 3442 cc, 250 horsepower engine.

XK-150S Roadster
Chassis number: T 831689 DN
Engine number: VS 1442-9

This 1958 Jaguar XK 150 S 3.4 Roadster was partially disassembled and stored in the basement of a home in Lilburn, Georgia in 1973. The vehicle remained dormant for many years until John Merritt struck a deal with the former owner in 2014. The car was then handed over to Bob Wagner's shop in Decatur, Georgia, where a collaborative six-year-long restoration between Wagner and Merritt Classics began. The numbers matching engine and gearbox were rebuilt, with the engine receiving custom high-compression forged pistons, ISKY camshafts, and a stainless exhaust system. The large wire wheels were given Avon Turbosteel tires.

The bodywork was performed in Alabaster, Alabama, with the upholstery receiving a fresh coat of Indigo Blue paint and the interior reupholstered with Biscuit leather sourced from Suffolk & Turley, near Coventry, England. All of the chrome work was handled by Advanced Plating in Portland, Tennessee. Mo-Ma out of Albuquerque, New Mexico handled the driving instrumentation.

Fewer than 400 miles have been added to the odometer since the no-expense-spared restoration was completed.

by Dan Vaughan

Convertible

Bowing in mid-1957, the XK150 was Jaguar's response to the growing U.S. demand for more comfortable sports cars. It featured higher front fenders, a wider grille, a curved one-piece windshield; and perhaps, most significant, Dunlop disc brakes at all four wheels. The low-cut door lines of the XK120 and XK140 were discarded for a more conservative shape, while the basic XK chassis remained albeit with an upgraded 3.4 liter twin-cam six as standard equipment. Most unique is the boot badge worn by all XK150's reminding us of Jaguar's 1951, 1953 and 1955-57 wins at Le Mans. According to the owner, this is one of five originally built in the combination of Old English White with a biscuit leather interior and tan convertible roof.

Coupe
Chassis number: S834923BW
Engine number: V2326-8

The Jaguar XK150 was launched in May 1957, initially offered in a fixed-head coupe and drophead convertible body styles. The chassis was similar to the preceding XK120 and XK140 series, as did the 3.4-liter six-cylinder 'XK' engine delivering 190 horsepower in standard guise. Employing various engine upgrades boosted output to 210 and 250 horsepower. The styling was similar in outward appearance to the XK140, with subtle changes to the interior to enhance passenger comfort. The body was widened by four inches, the doors were thinner, and a wrap-around, one-piece windshield was moved forward by four inches. The larger rear window improved visibility and Dunlop disc brakes were placed at all four corners.

This particular Fixed Head Coupe was delivered by Jaguar Cars, New York, to EW Overstreet of Los Angeles, California in January 1958. It wore a Cotswold Blue exterior with matching Dark Blue hides on the interior. It was originally equipped with a Borg-Warner three-speed automatic transmission but a correct type four-speed transmission was later installed (along with a period correct Carmen Red exterior with Biscuit hides).

This XK150 was equipped as a 'Special Equipment Model' meaning it has a special 'B' type cylinder head, with twin SU H.D.6 carburetors, Dunlop single pair pad disc brakes with servo assistance, chrome wire wheels with center-lock 'knock-off' hubs, dual exhaust system, and windshield washers. The engine upgrades of a B 'blue top' cylinder head and larger exhaust valves increased available horsepower to 210 from the standard 190 hp.

by Dan Vaughan

Convertible
Chassis number: S837450BW
Engine number: V40718

This 1958 Jaguar XK150 3.4 Drophead Coupe is powered by a 3,442cc dual overhead camshaft six-cylinder engine breathing through two SU carburetors and delivering 190 horsepower at 5,500 RPM. There is a three-speed Borg-Warner automatic transmission and four-wheel Dunlop disc brakes. It left the Browns Lane Jaguar plant during the summer of 1958 and was equipped with left-hand drive configuration. This restored Jaguar currently wears a Carmen Red exterior over a black leather interior with red piping and matching red carpets. There is a black convertible, California vanity license plates, Lucas driving lights, and chrome wire wheels.

by Dan Vaughan

In 1957 Jaguar introduced the XK150, a replacement for the XK140. The XK140 had been a replacement for the XK120 which had started the XK series with its elegant styling and impressive 120 mph capabilities. At the time, the XK120 was the fastest production vehicle in the world. The XK150 had many similarities to its predecessors but it featured modern styling and improved mechanics.

When the XK150 was introduced, it could be purchased in DropHead Coupe or FixedHead Coupe configuration. The Open Two Seater (OTS) Roadster version appeared a year later.

The base engine was a DOHC 3.4 liter straight-six that produced 180 horsepower. Most of the vehicles were outfitted with the SE version which had a modified cylinder head, dual SU HD6 carburetors, and larger exhaust valves bringing the horsepower rating to 210. Performance was further increased in 1958 when Jaguar enlarged the bore bringing the liter capacity to 3.8 and the horsepower rating to 220. The 'S' model featured three SU HD8 carburetors and a modified cylinder head bringing the horsepower rating to 260.

The XK120 suffered from poor steering. This was resolved by the adaptation of a rack-and-pinion unit on the XK140. The XK150 used the similar rack-and-pinion configuration, though still lacking power-assistance. The chassis was also similar to its predecessor. Disc brakes were standard on all four corners of the vehicle. The wheels could be ordered as Wire or as discs wheels.

Improvements continued in the interior of the vehicle. With roll-up door windows and door handles, the XK150 was more civilized. The longer hood meant the XK150 Roadsters were just a two seater unlike its 2+2 predecessors.

During its production lifespan lasting from 1958 through 1961, the Fixed Head Coupes were the most popular with 4445 examples being created. That figure was followed by the Drop Head Coupes with around 2670 examples. There were around 2260 Roadsters produced. The Roadster production figures would have been higher if they had not been introduced ten months after the Fixed and Drophead Coupe versions.

The XK150 continued the elegance and performance established by the XK120 and reinforced by the XK140. The long flowing lines of the hood gracefully curved towards the vertical grille which hid a potent engine that made the car legendary.

by Dan Vaughan