1960 Jaguar XK150 3.8 S DHC

A Heritage Certificate in the large history file shows that this Jaguar XK 150S was manufactured on the 9th of August 1960 and has the following matching numbers, chassis: T825318DN; engine: VAS 1235-9; body: J11180; and gearbox: JLS 46395 JS.

We know from the vendor that the car was originally Carmen Red with red leather.

We also know that when it left Browns Lane it was a FHC.

It was expertly converted to a DHC in, we believe, the late 70s/early 80s when prices for a DHC were three times those for a FHC.

The conversion would have been a straightforward job as the FHCs were originally built with all of the components and substructure necessary to complete the conversion.

People who know about these things tell us that this conversion is just about as good as they get.

Today, an original XK 150S 3.8DHC will set you back somewhere in the region of £300,000 - £350,000.

If you’re lucky enough to hunt one down, it’ll probably be under some chickens in the same barn as Shergar, Lord Lucan and the Ark of the Covenant.

Indiscernible from an original DHC save for the windscreen-mounted rear view mirror (it should be on top of the dashboard, and you could change it back to that), this car is 99.99999% of the authentic 150S 3.8 DHC experience at around a third of the price.

“Beware of meeting your automotive heroes,” is a phrase with a particular resonance for classic car enthusiasts.

We know many people who, as wide-eyed youngsters, imagined one day cruising sunny boulevards a 1952 Spofforth-Clunge gentleman’s touring sedan.

Or, perhaps, clipping an apex in a 1928 Gribbley-Entwistle 9-litre phaeton.

Many of these people had their hopes shattered in later life by the truly hideous experience of actually driving their dream cars.

Awful driving position. No power. Clown car steering. Lethal brakes. Etc, etc.

Well, if one of your automotive heroes is the sublime Jaguar XK 150S 3.8, then we’re here to tell you that this particular example is even better than you might ever have hoped or dreamed.

It starts, goes and stops with a degree of flair and panache that makes you re-check the date of manufacture. 1960? Really?

It has bags of power and torque on tap across all gears, it steers with positivity and faithfulness, it handles with poise and balance, and it feels properly screwed together.

This is a proper driver’s car.

Above all, though, it is a simply stunning example of the restorer’s art and no expense or effort whatsoever has been spared in getting this car into the truly world-class condition you now see.

This eye-wateringly expensive restoration was carried out meticulously, over several years, latterly by the vendor - a man whose attention to detail is bordering on obsessive.

This quite extraordinary Jaguar XK 150S 3.8 DHC is as near to immaculate as you’ll get without disappearing down the bottomless rabbit hole that is the world of concours.

The vendor spent nearly £60,000 on the first round of restoration work – the round that got it to the point of being pretty much immaculate and gorgeous in every way.

Then, very recently, he somehow found new and inventive ways to spend a further £7,484.35 on it, mainly by re-chroming shiny bits and re-painting sills and front and rear valances.

All of this extensive work is documented and photographed in the archive section.

Supplied new by Clarendon Motors of Bishop Auckland to its first owner, it came with sought-after factory options that included a Thornton limited-slip differential, manual overdrive gearbox and 16” Chromium 54-spoke wire wheels.

The car was in the custodianship of the previous owner for 25 years. He clearly did a very good job of looking after it. There are MoT certificates going back to 1987, when the mileage was 78,126.

Other invoices from a variety of Jaguar specialists indicate work that includes: a cosmetic restoration in April 2015 costing £8,900; one from CMC in Bridgenorth back in 2003 for £7,600; and others for various works totaling a further £18,542.

On the day of writing, COVID guidelines are being opened up so that we may once again sit inside pubs, restaurants and cafés.

We guarantee that if you’d driven to your local pub in this beauty you’d carry on sitting outside.

Where you can see it.

We have many, many visitors to The Market HQ. Even those who have spent a lifetime buying and selling classic automobile exotica make a bee-line for this car, ignoring the Porsches, Maseratis and Ferraris littering their path, and often saying something along the lines of “My word, there’s a fabulous car,” or “Proper class,” or “They don’t get much better than that.”

Even panel gaps, svelte dent- and ripple-free flanks and utterly sumptuous Old English White paintwork provide the glorious exterior aesthetic. Beautiful chrome work on the bumpers, over-riders, trim, badging and 54-spoke wire wheels adds the jewels to the crown.

The hood isn’t new but remains very smart and smart. Raised and in place it’s well fitted with a clear rear Vibach screen. If there’s a minor criticism it’s that there is a tiny mark on its front nearside corner – just above the first stud – and there are a few frays at its rear lower edges.

Frankly, these are just about the only things that limit this car to a score of 9 out of 10. No it’s not perfect, but then no car is. Not even one that’s just left the factory.

Unsurprisingly for a car that’s been subject to a chassis-up, bare metal, nut and bolt restoration, there is no rust visible anywhere. The panels and bumpers are free of any dinks, creases, scuffs or scratches. The shut lines and door gaps are consistent and even.

Slam these doors shut and your ears will be met by the positive metallic thud of accurately aligned mechanisms, not the slightly wobbly rattle so familiar to owners of lesser classics.

You will look in vain for evidence of stone chips, road rash or other unsightly evidence that it’s ever been let outside on its own.

In general, then, the car’s condition is quite exceptional - even for its mileage, let alone its age.

Inside, the red leather upholstery (including the dash-top) remains in top order and the seat structures are firm, supportive and comfortable. The vendor even had new silver/gray seat belts fitted with the Jaguar logo on the chrome buckle.

The carpets, door cards and roof lining are also in very good nick, although the latter does have a couple of marks here and there.

This is a simple, uncluttered cabin and, unlike in an XK 120, you can fit comfortably inside it even if you’re over 6ft tall and you’re not averse to the occasional pie.

All Smiths instrument faces are clear and overall the dashboard is very smart. All electrics function exactly as they should, as far as we can tell.

The boot area is nicely detailed and includes a full (and rare) set of original tools in their tool bag. These are worth £3,000 or more on their own. There’s also a timber knock-off tool for the wheel spinners, a spare wheel, car jack and ratchet, and a grease gun.

Lift up the carpets anywhere in the boot or elsewhere on the car and you’ll see…no rust anywhere whatsoever.

All in all, the interior of this car is a simply splendid place to be and is really very classy indeed.

The braking system has been upgraded to 4-pot Cooper Craft front callipers and Zeus single-pot callipers at the rear, with new discs and splined hubs all round.

“The engine starts immediately and sounds very crisp,” says the vendor, adding, “The old girl really does drive beautifully. The manual gearbox works and engages very well and the open top driving is a treat.”

Having driven it ourselves, we can attest to the truth of those words.

If you pop the bonnet (but DON'T open it fully as it’ll catch on the base of the hinge arms) you’ll see where a lot of the vendor’s work has gone.

It is immaculate and pristine.

The vendor says: “The engine bay was painted in Old English White with all black ancillaries (media blasted and powder coated satin black), all alloy components were removed and professionally polished, cylinder head painted in the authentic pumpkin colour, new chrome engine nut and washer kit along with new gaskets fitted, a complete new set of coolant hoses, new glass fuel filter, new HT leads and spark plugs.”

The vendor has also recently replaced the exhaust manifolds and had them enamelled and fitted with new gaskets, brass nuts and manifold studs (at a cost of over £3,000). There’s also an up-rated fan.

Get down on your hands and knees (not to pray to the god of all things Jaguar but to look underneath) and you’ll find very clean and thoroughly protected undersides.

Everything is in good order and in its right and proper place. Reassuringly, even areas that will never see the light of day have been expertly painted and finished.

If you’re seriously considering this car (and you should be) then take the time to leaf through its two folders of history, the highlights of which we have detailed in our photographic gallery.

We’ve already described many of the numerous restoration and detailing works completed, and each of those corresponding invoices may be scrutinised to give an even more comprehensive picture of the car.

There’s also a Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust certificate.

Looking at the sheer number of invoices from classic Jaguar parts specialists SNG Barratt, I think we can safely assume that their ‘Customer of the Year’ award for each of the last few years went to the current vendor.

Everything – and we mean everything – that needed replacing, restoring, refurbishing, fettling, tweaking, buffing or burnishing has been addressed and sorted. You’d need a wheelbarrow to take all the bills and invoices away with you.

Just look at this car. It’s as near to faultless as makes little or no difference.

And if you’re still not convinced, take it for a drive.

And if even that doesn’t do it for you well, frankly, we give up.

The car has an MoT certificate, with no advisories, valid until 1.6.21.

Please visit the documents section of the gallery of this listing where you will find photos of this and other paperwork to support our claim that this matching numbers car has been restored and maintained to the very highest level.

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.

Our estimate of between £85,000 and £110,000 makes this car exceptional value when compared to virtually indistinguishable original DHC versions that are well over £350,000.

And we’ll wager that very few of those exalted, mythologised beasts are anywhere near as wondrous to look at and drive as this vehicle.

The vendor has lightened his trouser pockets by more than £122,000 to get this car looking and driving as sublimely as it does today.

All the heavy lifting has been done by people who clearly knew what they were doing and weren’t afraid to raid the piggy bank as and when necessary.

The biggest daily decision you’ll have to take as the owner of this glorious machine is whether to jump in and drive it or just simply stare at it.

Either way, you’ll spend a lot of time grinning from ear to ear and congratulating yourself on your impeccable taste and judgment.

Go on. You know you want to.

We would.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; we are open Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm, 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’.