1960 Jaguar XK 150 S

This is the real deal.

It ticks all the right boxes for matching chassis, engine and gearbox numbers, RHD, 3.8-litre, ‘S’ specification – and it comes with more history than the Ashmolean Museum. 

The vendor purchased the then dismantled car in 1988 from the widow of a man whose intention had been to convert the car to a DHC configuration. 

That ambition remained unfulfilled and, consequently, the car you see before you today is happily still in its FHC coupé guise.

In 1992, the vendor handed the car over to restorer Brian Mondey of Gosport, having visited Brian’s workshop, seen his work and decided that he generally liked the cut of his jib.

In 1995 he went back to the workshop to collect his fully nut-and-bolt restored car. 

That same year the car gained many firsts in concours events, including the National Autoglym rounds, and was a later put on display at the Birmingham NEC Classic Car show. It also won 'Best in Show' at the Lulworth Classic '96. 

Manufactured on 19.3.60, almost exactly one year before the introduction of the E Type, this car left the factory with ‘Cotswold Blue’ paint and ‘Dark Blue’ interior trim, as attested to by Jaguar Cars themselves in a letter dated 1.8.89.

The owner had two principal ambitions for his curation and stewardship of this magnificent car. 

Firstly, he wanted it to be capable of competing for and winning rosettes, medals and gongs at various prestigious concours events. 

Secondly, and this is the tricky bit, he also wanted to use the car as its original engineers intended and put it through its paces on all sorts of domestic and European rallies, including the ’98 and 2000 ‘Tour Auto’ events through France and the ’08 Classic Le Mans ‘Peacock Run’.

Fulfilling one of those ambitions would take time, dedication, passion, enthusiasm and the willingness and ability to part with significant amounts of money. 

Fulfilling both of them, and ensuring that the car could perform equally well in each…..well, that’s seriously impressive stuff.

The vendor is selling because time marches on and he’s aware that he’s not getting any younger. He feels that this is the right juncture at which to pass on the vehicle to someone whose passion for these pedigree classics matches his and who will enjoy it as much as he has.

The car we have with us today features nothing that in any way significantly degrades or compromises its originality and authenticity. 

During his ownership, the vendor has added hydraulic steering, an updated stainless-steel exhaust system, adjustable shock absorbers, a new water header tank, a Kenlowe fan and, very recently, a new switch for the thermostat.

We have driven the car and can attest to its ability to thrill and perform exactly as you would hope and expect of one of the undisputed all-time icons of the open road. 

It handles with balance and poise, presses on with plenty of enthusiasm, and feels properly screwed together. 

It’s a joy to drive.

The car comes with a full spare set of wire wheels and the original adjustable seats. These seats will prove important if you happen to be under about 6’ 7’’ – the vendor is very tall and had fixed bucket seats fitted in the perfectly reasonable belief that no-one much shorter than him would be driving the car while it was in his possession. 

In recent years the car has been used regularly but sparingly (probably covering fewer than 100 miles per year), and has been meticulously serviced and maintained throughout.

The vehicle presents extremely well from every angle and is a tribute to the skills of both the people who built it…and those who restored it.

The bodywork is free of any dinks, dents, creases, folds or ripples of any consequence and the BRG paintwork has an impressive depth of lustre and shine wherever you look.

The panels are smooth and even, and the gaps and shut-lines are crisp and consistent.

The wire wheels (all five of them) are in very good order, as are the tyres.

All exterior decals, fixtures and fittings look to be in generally excellent condition. 

So, too, do the lights, lenses and badging.

The chrome work is broadly very good, although there are a few spots of foxing on the rear light cluster mounts.

There are a couple of paint chips on the edge of the passenger door and a patch of slightly ‘orange-peely’ paint on top of the o/s/f wing

There are a couple of very small bubbles in the paint along the groove of the swage line beneath the ‘S’ badge on the passenger side. These are probably symptomatic of excess paint or trapped air but could, conceivably, indicate a tiny spot of nascent blistering. We don’t know.

The good news continues unabated on the inside, where everything looks to be true, authentic and in commendably impressive condition. 

As previously stated, the fixed seats are not the originals (which are here at our unit). They are, however, in very decent condition save for the odd scuff to the outer bolster on the driver’s seat. The condition of the original adjustable seats is good, too.

The carpets are decent, apart from a few spots of staining under the driver’s seat, where a couple of patches also look a little threadbare.

A section of the trim around the parcel shelf is a little loose.

The door cards, headlining and dashboard trim are all good, as is the splendid Moto-Lita steering wheel.

The oil temperature gauge is an aftermarket unit and, as the previous gauge also incorporated a water gauge, there’s currently no working gauge for water temperature.

There are a couple of built-in, after-market, rally-style comms units with the car.

We didn’t tweak every lever, press every knob or flick every switch but everything we did tweak, press and flick did as it was told in a timely and uncomplaining fashion. 

The engine bay is clean, shiny, dry and tidy, which is hardly surprising in a car that’s won more rosettes than a gymkhana pony.

The new owner may benefit from renewing the cooling system hoses, as these are starting to show signs of age.

The vehicle’s undersides look equally impressive and full of structural integrity. 

The vehicle comes with a big, heavy box full of receipts, bills, invoices, certificates, photographs, correspondence, insurance schedules, stories, letters, press cuttings, etc, etc. 

Its life and use are recorded, documented and annotated in forensic and copious detail.

There’s really nowhere for any bad news to hide.

These cars were rare and sought-after to start with. And they’re only going to get rarer and more sought-after. 

To find one in this condition, with this provenance and history, that can proudly play the 3.8, ‘S’ and matching numbers trump cards…is both rare and remarkable.

It’s really very special indeed.

We are happy to offer this fine vehicle for auction with an estimate in the range of £80,000 - £100,000.

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located at the Bonhams|Cars Online HQ. Viewings are strictly by appointment. To make a booking, please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, and read our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.