Vehicle Description
1960 Jaguar XK150 S 3.8 RHD Fastback
This XK150 is the famous Hartin Fastback, which was modified for
its first owner in 1962 and retains its unique bodywork to this
day.
The XK150 S 3.8 is one of the most desirable variants of the
legendary XK range. With outstanding performance and only
constructed in limited numbers these cars have consistently been in
high demand, both from enthusiasts when new and collectors of more
recent years. With only 118 RHD Fixed Head S�Coupes built to this
specification the car offered here is already a rare and desirable
example but its appeal is further enhanced by virtue of the fact
that it is the unique and very well-known Hartin Fastback,
constructed in 1962 for its first owner, a Mr A E Richardson. The
car was completed as a standard XK150 S 3.8 FHC in February of 1960
and dispatched via the Sussex dealership Cooden Engineering to its
first owner, Mr Richardson, in early March when it was registered
RPM 935.
Richardson, a solicitor working in Surrey, was clearly a motoring
enthusiast and it appears that the Jaguar's high speed touring
potential was one of the key factors behind his purchase given that
his family was based at the other end of the country in Durham.
Research undertaken by previous owners, and corroborated by
documentation in the history file, shows that he drove�up to�1000
miles a week commuting between home and work and that by 1963 he
had accumulated a staggering 77,500 miles, largely on pre-motorway
roads. His quest for ever better performance is highlighted by
fascinating correspondence between himself and Jaguar where he
seeks information on maximum sustainable speeds, different final
drive ratios and requests speedometers with ever higher top speeds
(the 200 mph unit currently fitted was the type used on D-Types and
was provided by Jaguar to Richardson in 1962).
Having acquired a suitable means of high speed transportation
Richardson was now faced with a different problem; his son was
growing up and needed more space than the standard rear seats in a
FHC could provide. Rather than sell his beloved 150, he instead
commissioned coachbuilders Ron and Leonard Hartin (who had
previously undertaken panel work for Coopers) to redesign the
bodywork on the XK and fit a fastback that would accommodate,
albeit rather snugly, two adults in the rear seats. The resulting
design was constructed in aluminium to compensate for the
additional material used and the net weight was approximately the
same as a standard coupe.
The car remained in Richardson's ownership throughout the 1960s
during which time it was repainted from Black to Pastel Blue
Metallic before regretfully being sold in the 1970s. �After passing
through a number of owners it was eventually acquired at auction in
1990 by a Mr Richard Galvani, proprietor of Cambridge Motorsport,
by which time it needed a complete restoration. The chassis and
bodywork was undertaken by Peter Thurston and the running gear was
done by Galvani's own company. During this restoration every effort
was made to retain as much of the unique Hartin bodywork as
possible while preparing the car for light competition and
rallying, which involved fitting a roll cage, timing equipment,
fire extinguisher and uprating the engine, brakes and strengthening
the suspension. Subsequent development work has increased the power
further and the engine now delivers almost 300 bhp. During
Galvani's ownership, the car successfully completed numerous events
and in the process visited nearly 20 countries.
Following its acquisition by its current owner, JD Classics have
been commissioned to undertake some minor cosmetic work to the
bodywork and with this completed RPM 935 is now ready to be used
once more, either in competition, or as is its first owner intended
for long distance touring. The car is currently painted White with
a Blue leather interior and retains many of the modifications made
by Richardson and the Hartin brothers, including the aluminium
fastback bodywork, D-Type speedometer and long�3.47 final drive
ratio. The engine is a correct 3.8 S type but not the original
unit, which was, not surprisingly, replaced by Richardson himself
at an early stage in its life. With a fantastic history file
including original correspondence with Jaguar, numerous magazine
articles, original log book, factory guarantee and original service
records, it provides an unmissable opportunity to acquire a unique
piece of Jaguar history.
Please contact us for further details.
Price on application.
