1959 Jaguar XK150 SE

Timeless and elegant, this black left-hand-drive Jaguar XK150 SE has spent its life in the United States of America. We understand it has been converted to ‘S’ specification, and it is believed to have been done by Hoffman’s of New York when it was new, as many were. Now sporting the much sought-after ‘Pumpkin’ cylinder head, the three SU carburettors are certainly present and correct and have been recently tuned.

The subject of extensive restorative work in 2016 after arriving here in 2015, the owner describes himself as “not a paint and chrome man”, which means this wonderfully preserved Jaguar XK150 is utterly solid and fighting fit yet patinated enough that you could use it without fear of accidently picking up the odd stonechip or mark.

Now being offered after huge expenditure (“I can’t stand even a switch not working”) this is your opportunity to buy one of the most charming cars we’ve seen all year.

The black coupé exudes a menace that is missing from XK150s finished in one of the brighter colours. It also sits on the iconic wire wheels, and the overall result is utterly beguiling.

It’s in decent shape, too. Sure, the paint has been applied more thickly than we would accept now - and it suffers from the odd patches of micro-blistering, a little crazing here and there, and some fading most noticeably to the roof - but we love the combination of patina and rock-solid mechanicals that make this a driver’s car you could use with worry.

The panels are straight and free of rust, and it all fits together very nicely.

The chromework is generally straight and free of damage, and while there is some light pitting and superficial scratches to some of it there’s nothing there that would bother us after we’d spent a session on it with a microfibre cloth and some Autosol.

The wire wheels are straight and free of damage, and they’re fitted with matching 185R16 tyres, all of which have good tread.

As we will never tire of explaining, our 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. Their presence does not, of course, preclude the need for a thorough inspection - something the vendor would welcome, by the way – but do give you a shortcut into their attitude towards maintenance.

Work to do includes sorting out the wire wheels, which are a little rusty and rather let the side down. And a respray of course, if you are that way inclined.

The red leather seats might have been refurbished in 2016 with some new foam and webbing, but the owner chose – wisely, in our opinion – to leave the leather alone bar cleaning and feeding it.

The result looks terrific; a large part of the appeal of classic cars is their history and provenance and it saddens us a little when this is ruthlessly eradicated.

That said, it is worth noting that some leather, such as that on the top of the dashboard and around the rear parcel shelf, does look more recent.

The matching red carpets seem surprisingly good to still be the originals too, and we suspect they’ve been replaced at some point. But the door cards look like they might be the ones the car left the factory with; again, preservation of a classic car of this age is a balance between leaving ‘as is’, refurbishing, and replacing and we applaud the owner for the balance he’s achieved.

Speaking of which, the dashboard has been left alone and looks all the better for it. And the huge vintage-style steering wheel conspires with the stubby, forward-facing gearlever and the flat, floor-mounted seats to give the XK150’s unique ergonomics. It’s a wonderful place to be, and we can’t think of many better cars to rag down to the South of France…

The boot contains a spare wire wheel, and lifting the carpets shows solid metalwork, which is no surprise given its West Coast history.

Work to do includes the trim on the A-pillars and inside the glovebox, all of which is torn.

The work in 2016 included many new mechanical components including a refurbished steering rack, new suspension components, shackles, bushes and other items; please see the attached invoices for the full details.

Upgrades to make it better-suited to modern roads and traffic conditions include an alloy radiator and case-hardened driveshafts. The engine was compression tested and found to be sound, so the only work it needed was servicing and the third SU carb tuning.

The owner says it “drives superbly”, an epitaph we’re happy to endorse.

The underside, which is as solid as you would expect of a car that has lived the overwhelming majority of its life in the salt-free climes of the west coast of America, was the first thing that drew the owner to the car; after all, if the chassis and bodyshell are solid, the rest is easy.

The XK150 comes with some of its American paperwork (although comprehensive paper trails aren’t really a thing ‘Stateside…) plus a neatly organized folder stuffed full of invoices and bills to confirm the work that has been done to it over the years. It also comes with an Operating, Maintenance and Service Handbook and a period grease gun.

Please visit the documents section of the gallery of this listing to see photos of this paperwork.

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 the car re-MOT’d at the earliest. The cost of an MOT is a small investment when offset against the purchase and upkeep of any classic car, 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…

If you’d like to inspect the car prior to placing a bid – something we would encourage – then please use the Contact Seller button to arrange an appointment.

Oh, and it appears to have spent some time on the Beverley Hills Car Club fleet in California, so who knows who’s driven it?

The car’s rock-solid chassis and recently refurbished mechanical components make this more of a driver’s car than a trailer queen, and that combination also makes it a great candidate for a historic rally car conversion.

Or, and this would be our choice, it could be used as a supremely capable fast road car for inter-continental touring, a role its left-hand-drive cockpit would facilitate – and can you imagine arriving in Switzerland with a set of snow tyres and a pair of skis strapped to the roof? Effortless cool really doesn’t come any more accessible than this…

And how accessible is it likely to be? Well, we think this one will fetch somewhere between £33,000 and £40,000, which is very good value for such a solid, unmolested example of one of the best sportscars of its generation.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; to arrange an appointment 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, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.