To Be OFFERED AT AUCTION WITHOUT RESERVE at RM Sothebys' Villa Erba
event, 25 May 2019.
Estimate:
€290.000 - €340.000
- The second-to-last known surviving XK 150 Roadster
- One of just 36 XK 150 3.8 LHD Roadsters built
- Fully restored, with original engine, special equipment and
desirable optional overdrive
- Long-term ownership in the Southern U.S.
Introduced in mid-1957 as Jaguar's response to the growing U.S.
demand for more comfortable and refined sports cars, the XK 150 was
the final iteration of Jaguar's XK-series. It featured higher front
fenders, a wider grille, a curved one-piece windshield and, perhaps
most significant, Dunlop disc brakes at all four wheels. Jaguar was
justifiably proud, as it became the first manufacturer to offer
four-wheel disc brakes on a series-production car.
Initially offered in fixed head and drophead coup� versions, a
Roadster arrived in March 1958. The XK 150 proved to be the most
popular XK of all, with nearly 9,400 built until 1961, of which
roughly 75 percent were exported. Amongst the rarest variants are
the 36 left-hand-drive 3.8 Roadster models, of which just 36
left-hand-drive cars were built.
A very late-production example, the second-to-last XK 150 3.8
Roadster known to survive and the fourth-to-last XK 150 Roadster
completed, is without question the ultimate expression of
performance of Jaguar's renowned XK-series, as it incorporated
virtually every development and improvement that had been
discovered in over a decade of production. Most important is the
added horsepower and performance of the venerable Jaguar 3.8-liter
straight-six, along with Special Equipment and optional ($165.00)
Laycock de Normanville overdrive, which makes for comfortable
highway cruising.
Completed in November 1960, this car spent much of its life in the
Southwestern U.S., with one former owner, Alan Cruce, a Texas-based
Air Force veteran, retaining the car for more than 23 years. Lured
by the sound of the 3.8-litre engine, he enjoyed this car for only
a short time before departing to undertake pilot training, from
which point this XK 150 was rarely used. After years of dormancy,
the car was purchased by its current owner and shipped back across
the pond, where it was completely restored to the excellent
standard in which it is currently presented.
This is a very rare opportunity to acquire a lovely XK 150 3.8
Roadster, with a matching-numbers engine and with Special Equipment
and factory overdrive. With just 36 cars built in this
configuration, it is an excellent example of one of the rarest
variants of the Jaguar XK line and holds a special place in Jaguar
history.
To view this car and others currently consigned to this auction,
please visit the RM website at
rmsothebys.com/en/auctions/ve19.
