1959 Jaguar XK150 S 3.4 Litre Fixed Head Coupé
Subject to a ground-up, bare chassis restoration at a cost of £230,000

Registration No: YOP 911
Chassis No: T8248946DN
MOT: Exempt

• One of just circa 86 right-hand drive 3.4-litre 'S' variants produced
• Subject to a painstaking bare chassis restoration completed in 2023 at a cost of £230,000
• Supplied with a memory stick loaded with photographs documenting the restoration
• Finished in the original colour scheme of Cotswold Blue with Dark Blue Connolly hide upholstery
• Said to retain its full matching-numbers engine block, cylinder head, body number, stamped chassis number and Moss gearbox
• Uprated with a Kenlowe fan and EZ power steering
• Presents in excellent condition

The final iteration of the XK sports car line and the last Jaguar to carry a separate chassis, the XK150 was introduced in May, 1957. While its use of independent torsion-bar front suspension, a 'live' leaf-sprung rear axle and rack-and-pinion steering mirrored the practice of its XK140 predecessor, the new model benefitted from the option of all-round Dunlop disc brakes (though, in practice very few – if any – cars were delivered with drum brakes). Stylistically, the newcomer was brought up-to-date with more subdued curves and a larger, wrap-around single piece windscreen. With the E-type still very much under development, Jaguar was keen to sustain the sporting reputation that a remarkable five Le Mans victories (1951, 1953, 1955, 1956 and 1957) had earned it.

Initially powered by a 3,442cc derivative of the marque's race-proven DOHC straight-six engine, the XK150 could be specified with an enlarged 3,781cc unit from late 1959 onwards. Available in standard, Special Equipment or 'S' tune, the latter high-performance package comprised a Harry Weslake-modified 'straight port' cylinder head, more aggressive camshaft profiling, high-compression pistons and triple SU carburettors. Like its lesser siblings, the XK150 ‘S’ could be had in Fixed-Head Coupé, Open Two-Seater (Roadster) or Drophead Coupé guises. With a claimed 250bhp on tap, the 'S' 3.4 Litre cars were reputedly capable of 0-60mph in 7.4 seconds and 132mph. Among the rarest of all XK variants, total right-hand drive XK150 ‘S’ 3.4 Fixed Head Coupe production is thought to have amounted to just 86 cars. Unsurprisingly, survivors are highly prized by collectors.

Beautifully presented in its original colour scheme of Cotswold Blue with a Dark Blue interior, this extremely rare, ‘matching numbers’, right-hand drive, manual-overdrive XK150 S has recently emerged from one of the most comprehensive and exacting restorations we have ever seen. ‘YOP 911’ was manufactured on June 9th, 1959, and was sold through P. J. Evans of Birmingham to J. Kitchen of Little Aston, near Sutton Coldfield. The ownership trail is picked up in February, 1970, when it belonged to David John Baron Lethbridge of Egham, Surrey. In December, it passed very briefly to Peter Leonard Walker of Edgware, Middlesex, and then in January, 1971, it was acquired by Anthony Crawshaw of Dewsbury, before Whingate Motors of Leeds took ownership in March, 1973. In September, 1975, it became the property of the Highgate Garage of Cheltenham Road, Broadway, Worcestershire, and then its life on the road came to a halt.

Invoices from Oldham & Crowther Jaguar Spares and the Forward Engineering Co. Ltd. point to some mechanical work being completed through the autumn, but the Jaguar’s tax was not renewed after December, 1975, and afterwards it languished out of sight until it reappeared looking very sad in the 2018 Beaulieu Autojumble auction. Despite appearances, it was said that it had been started periodically and ran well at low speeds with good oil pressure; nevertheless, it required total restoration.

That restoration finally commenced when the vendor took ownership in 2020. He presented it to Grandstand Coachworks and worked out a plan for not only the reviving the car to the very highest standard, but also discreetly updating it. It is worth repeating the original brief as laid out by Grandstand: “A comprehensive restoration of the vehicle, to original specification, deviating only by some sympathetic modifications to the mechanics. Any modifications should be reversible and should not look out of place. The original colour scheme will be retained, to complement the fact that the car is comprised of wholly original parts, including the engine, gearbox, chassis and body. Some materials may be substituted to meet modern expectations, such as a full leather interior instead of the original vinyl and leather. Deference should be paid to restoring rather than replacing, to retain as much character as possible. The engine should be built to a ‘fast road’ specification. It should look original, modifying only internal components. Increased power, torque and reliability is the goal. Drivability must be maintained, and long-term reliability should be engineered for long European tours.”

The work was completed between October, 2020, and March, 2023, costing a grand total of £229,760. Some work was subcontracted by Grandstand, but only to well-known and highly-respected specialists, hence the engine was renovated by Sigma Engineering, the interior was retrimmed by David Nightingale, the chrome was replated by S & T Chrome, and the axle and gearbox were overhauled by JB Sports. Significantly, the body was taken to Surface Processing Ltd. for E-coating, to ensure modern standards of corrosion resistance, and it was painted with 2K acrylic for durability. A reproduction of the Connolly Vaumol VM.3197 leather was made to order by Connolly, and the dials were overhauled by Speedy Cables. Some of the very subtle modern equipment includes a Kenlowe electric fan and EZ power steering and metal-braided fuel hoses. Inside are a concealed Bluetooth receiver and USB and charging ports. A smaller-diameter Moto-Lita wood-rim steering wheel has been fitted, and stainless-steel wire wheels have been used in place of the original silver-painted items, shod with Blockley 185VR16 radial tyres.

With only light use since the restoration, this outstanding XK150 S remains in superb condition and is an excellent candidate for European grand-touring. It is sold with an impressive history file including the current V5C, the green logbook from 1970, a JDHT certificate, the MOT, tax disc and invoices from 1975, a 1969 Pearson’s servicing manual, and detailed documents of the recent restoration including an extensive photographic record on a specially-prepared USB.

For more information, please contact:
Lucas Gomersall
lucas.gomersall@handh.co.uk
07484 082430