Background
In contrast to its less than auspicious genesis the Jaguar XK8 and XKR lineage benefitted from the input of not one, but two automotive design colossuses. It was Jaguar’s Director of Styling, Geoff Lawson, who would be charged with starting from scratch with the design of an XJS successor in 1991 when Ford scrapped the meandering XJ41 project. The XK8, launched in March 1996, was worthy testament to the ability and vision of Lawson. Not just a highly skilled designer but a larger than life eccentric with an extensive hinterland of interests – from guitar design, through guns and shooting and on to abstract art and sculpture. The XK8 and XKR in their original X100 form were hugely successful with over 90,000 being built and sold between 1996 and 2005. Lawson’s sudden passing from a stroke in 1999 left a huge void in the Jaguar design hierarchy at a time when the all-important X100 successor was due to start its development journey.
Luckily for all involved Jaguar were able to persuade Ian Callum to take up the mantle as Design Director and to fill Lawson’s role. For an initial period Callum directed design at both Aston Martin and Jaguar being the driving force behind the DB9 and V8 Vantage. No surprise, perhaps, that his X150 version of Lawson’s XK looked for all the world like a very competitively priced Aston Martin. Gone was Lawson’s trademark retroism in favour of something cutting edge and unapologetically modern. Despite this eye for the future many could see the influence of the “Sayer nose” in the X150 and, hence, tangible DNA of C, D and E Types that would follow. Construction methods were state of the art, however, with the X150 featuring a bonded and riveted aluminium monocoque chassis and an all-aluminium construction. Only two traditional welds feature in the whole structure. This helped save a full 90 kg over the X100 whilst increasing rigidity by 50%. It seemed somehow fitting that the X150 was assembled at Castle Bromwich – the World War II shadow factory that would contribute over 12,000 Spitfires to Britain’s war effort.
The X150 is a much rarer beast than its predecessor, too. Between 2006 and 2014 around 27,600 were built and sold. Towards the end of production a brace of special run-out models was produced in strictly limited numbers giving the X150 the last hurrah it deserved. The more powerful of these being the XK Dynamic R.







