1959 Jaguar XK150 S 3.4 Litre Drophead Coupe

Lot details
Registration No: S 150
Chassis No: T827426D/N
Mot Expiry: None

This Jaguar has fascinating history. For the 1959 XK 150S on offer here - a right-hand drive drophead coupe with entirely appropriate S 150 registration, red painted wire wheels still on the car, Marchal lights and, rare for the time, air horns - was specially built by Jaguar for one Esmond Seal, following from his friendship with Bob Berry, the motor racing PR for Jaguar cars - a fact attested to by a brass plaque within the glove box.
A 5th January 1960 entry in the brown logbook confirms the V52058-9 original engine was replaced with V52145-9 by Jaguar under warranty. The documents file also contains 2 painstakingly kept diaries, recording practically every mile covered, and every attention given to the car. Beyond these there is a wealth of associated material including service handbook, two workshop manuals, spare parts catalogue, brochures, contemporary road tests and pretty well every bill spent on the car. Apparently, when he did drive his favourite motor car, if humanly possible, Seal would not return it to the sanctuary of his carpeted garage until he had driven it at 100mph.
The vendor, a friend of Esmond's, only the second keeper since new, bought the car in the late 1970s for £5000, which, at the time, was reckoned to be the highest price ever paid for a 150S. In the just over twenty-five years of his ownership, only around 5000 miles have been driven, most of them
involving an outing to the Mille Miglia in Italy when, reportedly, the overdrive equipped express did not miss a beat with, on occasions, 140mph seen on the clock - all this with three up and the hood down! The engine, still under the bonnet today, is said to have performed really well when opened up, whilst remaining fully tractable, bearing out the view that this was a special engine.
Earlier in the current ownership, S 150 was employed as the prototype for a classic car rust-proofing business set up by marque specialists Philip Porter and Paul Skilleter, who gave the steelwork a very comprehensive treatment. Claimed still to be extraordinarily original, retaining the original hood with West of England cloth lining, chassis and body panels as well as grey paintwork and grey leather interior are said currently to be in fair condition, although the chrome has started to suffer on the bumpers and there are some defects to the nearside rear wing paint. Although the last tax disc on the screen is from 1987, the 3442cc 6-cylinder XK engine with S-spec triple SUs is claimed to be free after this recent inactivity. The 68,553 mileage displayed when entered is believed by the entrant to be the genuine total.
Especially with a pre-sale estimate of £30,000-40,000, this lot represents an extremely rare opportunity for a discerning Jaguar enthusiast to acquire What must be rated as a gilt-edged addition to any collection that should require a comparatively small additional investment to preserve its rare originality while making it useable and enjoyable.