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XKSS

Jaguar XKSS 1957 - Front 3/4 viewJaguar XKSS 1957 - Front viewJaguar XKSS 1957 - Side viewJaguar XKSS 1957 - Rear 3/4 viewJaguar XKSS 1957 - Rear viewJaguar XKSS 1957 - Dashboard viewJaguar XKSS 1957 - Interior viewJaguar XKSS 1957 - Detail view
Front 3/4
Collector's dream

A road-legal D-Type. Steve McQueen's daily driver. Only 16 built before a fire at Jaguar's Browns Lane factory destroyed 9 unfinished cars. The XKSS added a passenger door, a folding windshield, and minimal bumpers to the Le Mans winner.

History

After the FIA changed regulations making the D-Type non-competitive, Jaguar had unsold racing cars in stock. The solution was to add minimal road equipment and sell them as the world's fastest road car.

The conversion was simple: add a passenger door (the D-Type only had a driver's door), fit a folding windshield, add basic bumpers, and include a luggage rack. The Le Mans-winning XK engine and monocoque structure were unchanged.

On February 12, 1957, a fire at Jaguar's Browns Lane factory destroyed 9 of the 25 planned XKSS cars. Only 16 were completed and delivered. Steve McQueen purchased one in 1958 and drove it daily in Hollywood, receiving numerous speeding tickets.

The XKSS is one of the rarest and most valuable road cars ever made. Values exceed GBP 10 million. In 2016, Jaguar built 9 'continuation' XKSS cars to replace those lost in the fire, priced at GBP 1 million each.

Timeline

1957Production begins
1958Steve McQueen purchased one in 1958 and drove it daily in Hollywood
2016In 2016, Jaguar built 9 'continuation' XKSS cars to replace those lost in the fire

Production & Heritage

Production Total16
DesignerMalcolm Sayer
Production Period1957-1957
Estimated Value$10.0M-$15.0M

Value estimates are editorial assessments based on recent auction results and market trends.

Technical Specifications

Engine3.4L Inline-6 (XK)
Power250 hp @ 5,750 rpm
Torque326 Nm
0-60 mph5.2 sec
Top Speed264 km/h
Transmission4-speed manual
DrivetrainRWD
Weight915 kg
BodyMonocoque aluminum center tub (road-legal D-Type)

Engine Details

Engine CodeXK straight-6 3442cc
Displacement3.4L (3,442 cc)
Bore x Stroke83 x 106 mm
Compression9
Fuel System3x Weber 45 DCO3 carburetors

Performance

0-100 km/h5.5 sec
0-60 mph5.2 sec
Top Speed264 km/h
Weight-to-Power3.7 kg/hp

Dimensions

Length3,912 mm
Width1,664 mm
Height940 mm
Wheelbase2,300 mm

Chassis & Suspension

Front SuspensionDouble wishbone, torsion bar
Rear SuspensionLive axle, torsion bar, trailing links
Front BrakesDisc (Dunlop)
Rear BrakesDisc (Dunlop)
SteeringRack-and-pinion
Tires6.5

Capacity

Fuel Tank164 L
Trunk VolumeN/A L
Doors2
Seats2

Tags

Designed by Malcolm Sayer

From the 1950s

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