1957 Jaguar XK150 Convertible to 3.8 Litre 'S' Specification
Recent engine overhaul and numerous upgrades

Registration No: 600 BF
Chassis No: S834794DN
MOT: Exempt

• Previously subject to a bare-chassis, photographically documented restoration
• Uprated to high-performance 3.8-litre, triple-carburettor 'S' specification
• Fitted with numerous desirable upgrades including a five-speed gearbox, EZ power steering, and all-round Coopercraft disc brakes
• Recently subject to extensive recommissioning including an engine overhaul at a cost of over £10,000 by Sigma Engineering
• Private registration '600 BF', which the vendor has had valued at £10,000, is included in the sale
• Previously-fitted 3.4-litre XK engine included in sale

The 1950s saw Jaguar win the world's greatest endurance race—the Le Mans 24 Hours—more times (five) than any other manufacturer. A blend of existing and new technology, the XK150 was the Coventry firm's last model to feature a separate chassis but its first to be available with four-wheel disc brakes. Unveiled in 1959, the range-topping 3.8-litre 'S' could be had in Roadster, Fixed Head Coupé or Drophead Coupé guises (the latter being the most expensive). With a quoted 265bhp and 260lb. ft. of torque on tap thanks to its straight-port cylinder head and triple SU carburettors, Jaguar's flagship sports car could only be had with four-speed manual plus overdrive transmission. Reputedly capable of 0-60mph in 7.6 seconds and 141mph, its performance was on a par with rival Aston Martin, Maserati and Ferrari offerings.

Resplendent in Jaguar Signal Red, this fine XK150 dhc, prepared to 3.8-litre S specification, has benefitted from much careful attention during the 28 years since its original restoration. Manufactured on November 20th, 1957, as a 3.4-litre Fixed-Head Coupé in L.H.D. export specification, painted Cream with a Red interior, it was despatched on December 23rd to Jaguar Cars of New York. It was reimported into Britain in 1990, apparently in a sorry state. It was sold by Jaguar specialists The Carriage Company of Silsoe, Bedfordshire, in 1996 to Mr. Woodward of Cambridgeshire, in a condition described as “dismantled, for total restoration.”

Mr. Woodward entrusted the restoration to The Carriage Company, and a large collection of photographs documents its transformation into a Drophead Coupé in Signal Red. This restoration was comprehensive, including overhauls of the engine, suspension and brakes, plus an interior retrim. Additionally, several upgrades were made for modern driving, which included the all-round fitment of Coopercraft disc brakes, electric power-assisted steering from M. & C. Wilkinson, a five-speed all-synchromesh gearbox, and an electric fan. Photographs show the work approaching completion in 1998, and it was first registered and taxed for the road in November that year, but work with The Carriage Company continued up to 2002, and there is no record of the Jaguar being taxed again until 2004, after it was sold in 2003 by The Carriage Company to a Mr. Meadows of Northamptonshire. It then remained in consistent use until 2012, ownership having passed in 2008 to a Mr. Reeve of Bedfordshire, who continued to lavish attention upon it.

In 2011, the XK was sold its longest-term keeper on record, having freshly benefitted from even more extensive upgrades just prior to the sale. With dealer Graeme Hunt, it received not only a full repaint in the same Signal Red, but was upgraded to 3.8 Litre S specification, with triple SU carburettors and the big-valve head. Electronic ignition was installed, as were the spotlights which were standard for the XK150 S in period. The new owner from December, 2011, was the late Major Guy Lucas of the Royal Engineers, who bought it as a retirement present to himself with the intention of Continental touring. Major Lucas enjoyed some local use with the car and took it to the Le Mans Classic in 2012, before he decided to take it off the road and mechanically renovate it to his own meticulous standards. Sadly, declining health forced him to abandon the project in 2017, and when it was acquired by our vendor from the Lucas family in 2024, it was a non-runner, as Major Lucas’s last, unfinished job had been to remove the sump to check the bearings. In all other respects, however, it was very well-preserved, having been stored in a well-ventilated garage.

The vendor immediately took the Jaguar to Sigma Engineering for recommissioning, which took place over the course of 2025 at a cost of £10,519. Sigma found the engine had noisy tappets and a warped head, so it fitted a replacement head which it prepared to its “fast race” specification with new valves, guides and inserts. The engine was completely dismantled and cleaned, and put back together with a replacement crank, new bearings, timing chains and so on. The carburettors were overhauled with new jet assemblies and needles, and the tracking, toe and camber angles were reset. The worn speedometer cable and all the broken switches were replaced. Satisfied that he has saved a very worthwhile car, the vendor is offering it for sale having just completed its 500 miles of running-in. Included in the sale is the private registration number which the vendor has had valued at £10,000.

The Jaguar is offered with a large history file including the current V5C and historic registration documents, assorted old M.O.T.s and tax discs, many invoices, sale invoices (1997 and 2011), restoration photos (1997-98 and 2011), and two J.D.H.T. certificates, and the previous 3.4-litre engine is supplied. Altogether, this XK amounts to a fantastic touring car which should be ideal for everything from Sunday outings to a return to the Le Mans Classic.

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