1958 Jaguar XK150 SE

Freshly restored in 2016, this 1957 Jaguar XK150 SE Coupé wants for nothing. Immaculately presented and running beautifully, your search for the perfect XK150 is over because we simply don’t think you’ll find a better example on sale today.

A genuine UK-spec, right-hand drive car, it was built on the 7th of November 1957. Originally Pearl Grey with a dark blue interior, it has been refinished in Burgundy with an Oatmeal leather interior. It has also been upgraded with air-conditioning, a Getrag five-speed gearbox, and an electric fan and ignition; the result is a “very drivable car” according to the vendor, who’s owned it for the past six years.

Only being sold because he’s too busy with work to be able to use it as much as he’d like (he estimates he’s only driven it for 300-400 miles in total…) it’s being offered with a very sensible guide price and reserve.

Before we get into the details can we agree that the XK150 Coupé is one of the most beautiful cars ever built? Perfectly proportioned, every single detail has been perfectly judged and executed with the sort of craftsmanship you just don’t see on new cars anymore. It’s staggeringly lovely and a car you can’t help but look back at after you’ve parked.

And this one is especially good. The panel fit is nigh-on perfect, and every opening panel opens and closes with the authority that only comes with hours of diligent installation.

The paintwork is almost flawless, and it’s clearly been applied with more than the usual skill. The chromework is excellent too, as are the badges, light lenses, and glazing.

And it gets better and better, the closer you look. Take the headlamps, for example, which have a ‘J’ in their centre. Or the leather strap on the radiator grill. Or the aesthetically pleasing vent in the wheelarch you can see in slide #200. Even the door shuts, the place where almost everyone cuts corners, are accurately aligned and beautifully painted.

The 16-inch chromed wire wheels were fitted new in 2016 – but that could have been yesterday they’re so clean. They’re fitted, as you’ve probably already guessed, with four Michelin X tyres, all of which still have plenty of tread left on them.

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. Their presence does not, of course, preclude the need for a thorough inspection - something the vendor would welcome, by the way – but it does perhaps give you a shortcut into their attitude towards maintenance.

There is the odd mark (i.e. #64, #99, #114, and #) as well as condensation inside a sidelight (#99) but, aside from some swirl marks from polishing, that’s it.

If you liked the exterior then you are going to love the cockpit. Beautifully trimmed, it is way better than it would have been when it left the factory back in 1958. Modern materials help but the simple fact is that no production line can ever match the quality you get with a completely hand-built car – and this one has clearly had many hundreds of hours invested in it.

There’s an exquisite Mota-Lita wood-rimmed steering wheel for starters, plus a leather-covered dashboard. Low-backed sports seats in the front and what might just be the nicest handbrake and gear-lever combo we’ve ever seen. Even the original Duncan Hamilton badge has been retained and refitted on the lid of the newly refurbished glovebox.

The rear seats might be small but they do open up the ability of the XK150 to carry a couple of small children – and who wouldn’t want to be able to look back on a childhood that included journeying in a Jaguar XK150?

The carpets are flawless, as is the headlining, dashboard, and door cards. Honestly, we can’t see a single thing in there to fault except for some reason the passenger side window does not wind up.

The engine bay is an absolute delight, too; clean, well ordered, and beautifully presented, it’s would be an absolute joy to work on. In fact, if it were ours, we’d crack open the bonnet, pour a glass of something refreshing and just sit there admiring it. Sure, you would want to wipe it down occasionally and check the oil level but that should be the extent of your fettling for a good while.

As you can see, the Jaguar fires up on the button and shows the correct oil pressure and charging rate. It ticks over well, revs nicely and drives as it should – and as a 3.4-litre SE model, it has 210bhp at its disposal, so is no slouch. It can crack 120mph with ease and hits the benchmark 60mph in a fraction over eight seconds.

The electronic ignition and cooling fan play their part in making this a more reliable car in modern traffic but it’s the air-conditioning and five-speed Getrag gearbox that are most noticeable. Noticeable, that is, in the experience they give rather than their installation.

Speaking of which, the underside is as exquisitely presented as everywhere else. Protected by a professionally applied layer of underseal, the level of fit and finish is a joy to behold.

It’s still got its original registration book and two sets of keys plus, of course, a current V5 registration document.

It’s also got a Jaguar Heritage certificate confirming its build specification and we can confirm that the number on the engine block matches that on the Heritage certificate and the original registartion document plus a host of old MOT certificates and tax discs in addition to some recent invoices for work that has been carried out.

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…

The seller has always admired the Jaguar XK150 and eventually found himself in the enviable position of being able to make a lifelong dream come true. He searched long and hard and eventually found this one. Newly restored and discreetly upgraded, it was everything he could have hoped for.

And yet, like so many of us, he finds that life gets in the way and he simply hasn’t been able to use it as much as he hoped to. But, rather than be selfish and let it sit as a testament to a dream fulfilled, he’s decided to sell it, to pass it on to someone who will be able to use it as it deserves to be used.

With a guide price of £60-70,000, it isn’t cheap. Well, it isn’t cheap unless you start to work out how much it would cost you to buy a cheaper one and then commission someone to bring it up to this standard.

Viewed in that light, this is actually a bit of a bargain.

Plus, the very best cars are always in demand and always realise the best price, so the overall cost of owning it might come as a very pleasant surprise when it’s time to pass it on.

Worth thinking about, isn’t it?

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; we are open weekdays 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’.