1960 Jaguar XK150

Welcome to our auction for a very special car.

Restored between 2001 and 2005, the Jaguar retained its original colour scheme of Pearl Grey with a red leather interior. It’s a ‘matching numbers’ car too, has hung on to its original Belfast registration number of ‘4439 AZ’, and is one of only 83 right-hand-drive SE fixed-head coupés ever built, making it exceptionally rare.

Its SE-status brought with it wire wheels, twin front foglamps, an overdrive and, most important of all, an uprated ‘B’-spec cylinder head for the 3.8-litre engine which was derived from the earlier C Type.

Owned by the seller’s late husband since 2013, the 82,000 miles shown on the odometer is believed to be genuine, and it is such a lovely example that it reached the final four in the Best In Show at Goodwood in 2018. 

The XK150, which has been kept in a heated and dehumidified garage, has only seen rain once since they bought it, and that was at the Goodwood Revival, for which we can forgive them, surely?

Because the show was a firm favourite of theirs, and they attended at least 15 of them over the years, including in 2018 when their beloved XK150 reached the final four of the Best in Show.

Which was well-deserved, as you can see in the photos: The 20-year-old paintwork is holding up very well, but then the absence of flaws such as runs and orange peel suggests it was applied by an unusually skilled painter.

The shutlines are good too; sure, it isn’t going to cause sleepless nights at Audi HQ but they’re pretty consistent along each length and the overall impression is of a car that as reassembled with the same diligence as it was painted.

Those panels are still in good shape too, with no obvious dents, dinks, or other damage. 

Much of the chromework was replated in 2002, and Prestige Electro Plating lived up to its name by doing such a good job that it still looks terrific almost a quarter of a century later, including the all-important Leaper on the bonnet and the equally imposing radiator grille that sits below.

There are no serious problems with the brightwork, only very light pitting here and there, most of which would probably be improved by a session with a tube of Autosol. 

The wire wheels have been painted rather than chrome-plated, which is good to see. They too are good with no dents to the rims, rusty spokes, or other signs of neglect or damage. 

They are also fitted with a matching set of 185R16 Michelin X tyres. However, while they have plenty of tread depth left on them, the newest of them was made in 2013, so you should think about replacing them on the grounds of their age. 

Nevertheless, we will never get tired of telling you that experience shows that matching high-quality tyres are an infallible sign of a caring and mechanically sympathetic owner who is prepared to spend the appropriate amount in maintaining their car properly. 

As for the red Webasto sunroof, the seller understands the original owner had it fitted a few weeks after he had bought the car new from Victor Garage in Belfast. This still fits very well, is free of damage, and slides fore and aft as it should. The absence of water stains to the headlining also suggest it has remained watertight.

Other nice touches include the Jaguar ‘J’ in the middle of each headlamp, a pair of Lucas spotlamps, and a selection of badges above the black-and-silver front numberplate.

As for problems, the driver’s door doesn’t close properly, so that will need adjusting. There are also a couple of cracks in the paintwork on the bonnet (56/112) and above the offside rear wheel (64/112). 

They’ve been there since 2013 and her husband said he was happy to leave it until they got worse – and as they haven’t deteriorated in the dozen years they’ve owned it, they left well alone.

Other than that, it’s ready to show off at your local classic car show.

The XK150’s interior has been trimmed to a very high standard – and then maintained accordingly. It is, as you can see, a glorious example of its type and we can’t imagine you’d ever get tired of sitting in it.

As a coupé it can also seat four, enabling you to introduce your children or grandchildren to the delights of classic sportscars; a cockpit like this makes every journey an adventure, and who wouldn’t want to look back on a childhood that included travelling in here?

The overall condition is excellent; the driver’s seat, surely the place that would highlight abuse or neglect first, is barely creased. The passenger’s seat and rear seats are even better; if we were to tell you they had been recovered last year, you’d probably believe us. 

The armrest on the transmission tunnel has been trimmed in the same style, and the use of red material extends to the gearlever and handbrake gaiters as well as the dashboard.

The carpets and door cards are like new too, as are the trim panels that cover the rear quarters. 

The headlining, including that of the sliding roof, is free of rips, stains, and sagging material.

The boot has also been nicely trimmed in red, with a matching and equally well-cut black mat placed on top to prevent your luggage scuffing its still-like-new finish.

Lifting the matching spare wire wheel out reveals a solid and well-painted metal floor. The boot also contains a number of spares plus some tools and a battery conditioner; please see the photos for details. 

As for things you might like to tidy up, the material covering the dashboard and glovebox is a bit grubby and what doesn’t wipe off could be put down to the car’s developing patina.

Other than that, the only job we can see is to clip the driver’s door aperture trim back on, which is the kind of To Do list we could all live with. 

The straight-six engine fires up easily, idles well, and revs nicely. The engine bay is clean enough that you could lift the bonnet without embarrassment but is not so overly fussy that you’ll be afraid to use it. 

The engine and underbonnet area is as perfectly judged as everything else, and continues to fulfill the original mission brief of going full-pelt as stylishly as possible.

The underside is very good too, with a fetching combination of body-coloured and black paint. From what we can see it looks to have been restored and then looked after every bit as well as everything else we’ve talked about; polish the undersides of the doors and inside the wheelarches and you’d probably get a podium spot at your local concours. 

The recent Vehicle History Check is clear, and the Jaguar wallet contains the original buff log book, an Operating, Maintenance, and Service booklet, a pamphlet showing where the UK’s Jaguar dealers were located, and a Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust Production Record Trace certificate.

There are also plenty of old MoT certificates and invoices for work over the years, including many for the restoration, which was also photographed.

With just six previous keepers, the fourth of which kept it for 30 years, a photo in the history file shows the car being reunited in 2015 with its first owner. 

There is a neatly typed history of the Jaguar too, and this reveals, among other things, that the chap who bought it new was the 20-year-old grandson of the managing director of Harland and Wolff and the man who launched the Titanic.

How’s that for a conversation starter?

He was also good friends with rallying legend Paddy Hopkirk and F1 driver Desmond Titterington, both of whom put their considerable expertise to good use in showing him how to make the best use of the XK150’s power and handling!

The Jaguar doesn’t have a current MoT certificate, and while it is exempt by virtue of its age, we would strongly encourage the new owner to have it MoT’d at the earliest opportunity. The cost of an MoT is a small investment when offset against the purchase and upkeep of any classic vehicle, and it gives an independent, third-party assessment of the car’s condition, which not only provides reassurance to the owner (and any subsequent purchasers) but might also be invaluable in the event of a bump when negotiating with the police and any interested insurance companies… 

We’re also selling the couple’s Ford Mustang, and whereas that’s being sold because she can’t imagine threading a left-hand-drive Mustang along the narrow country lanes where she lives, the Jaguar is being sold because, at 5’ 2”, she simply can’t reach the pedals.

The Jaguar XK150 is a timeless car, and while the desirability of some of its contemporaries is starting to wane as enthusiasts discover the delights of more modern classics, the XK-series is proving to be immune as buyers still appreciate what charming cars they are to both own and drive, something that isn’t always the case with some of its contemporaries…

And while we are sure you could buy a cheaper example of the breed, given its condition, provenance, and matching numbers status, we aren’t sure you’ll be able to find one that represents better value.

Our estimate is between £45,000 and £65,000, which is a wider range than we’d normally give but this is a very special car, and we can’t rule out two equally committed bidders slugging it out in the final hours…

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located at Bonhams|Cars Online HQ. Viewings are STRICTLY BY APPOINTMENT and we are open weekdays between 10am - 12pm or 2pm - 4pm. To make a booking, please use the ‘Enquire About This Vehicle’ button on the listing. Feel free to ask any questions, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.