1957 Jaguar XK150 SE

“ What a fabulous 'fast-road' XK150 this is, ready for action. ”
Being offered as part of our curated auction in conjunction with the Jaguar Drivers' Club and their 70th Anniversary at Brooklands on Sunday 12th July 2026.

Background
The evolution of the XK150 started back in 1948 with what could be claimed as the most fortuitous “accident” in post-war motoring history. It is claimed that the XK120 was designed in less than three months by Jaguar’s founder Sir William Lyons and his chief engineer, William Heynes. Originally the car was conceived merely as a show car and test bed for the new XK engine which was slated for full-scale production for the Mark VII saloon. Maybe this is why the design process was so hasty. The “XK120” nomenclature was a nod towards the car’s XK engine and the 120mph (plus) top speed that the former was able to push the lightweight body to achieve.

The XK120 was revealed to the public at 1948 London Motor Show in open two-seater form. In the austere, post-war climate of 1948 the XK120 clearly struck a chord of optimism and recovery. The XK120 was universally well received. The sophisticated DOHC six-cylinder engine seemed like a unit previously only offered with cars for the super-rich like Stutzes and Duesenbergs. The fact that it was sat on a stand at Earls Court with an indicative sticker price of just £999 meant that it would be exponentially more attainable than those rarified offerings. Such was the furore caused by the curvy XK120 that it was hurriedly rushed into production in 1949.The first 200 were painstakingly hand built in aluminium. With public demand egging them on Jaguar retooled to produce in volume and in steel in 1950. 

By 1954 Jaguar responded to early market feedback by evolving the XK120 into the XK140. The XK140 offered more power, more space, improved refinement and better steering and brakes. The metamorphosis from stripped out sports special to sophisticated GT continent crosser had begun. That developmental arc reached its apogee in 1957 with the release of the XK150. This time the body was all new offering a wider cabin and improved modernity with features like a curved windscreen and better weather protection. Disc brakes all round moved the technical specification on, too, and the legendary XK unit received a few tweaks in the process as well. Around 9,300 XK150s would be built between 1957 and 1960 with around 47% of those being Fixed Head Coupes.

Overview
This stunning example of an early XK150 features the chassis number S824060DN. This confirms it as a factory SE car produced in right hand drive for the home market. With the fixed head coupe sequence starting at 824001, this would have been the 59th example to leave Browns Lane. The DN suffix confirms the fitment of the de Normanville overdrive gearbox. The accompanying Heritage Certificate helps fill in some of the blanks not catered for by the chassis number. The XK was finished in Sherwood Green over tan leather from the factory and was ordered as a demonstrator by Walter E Sturgess dealers of Leicester with it leaving Browns Lane on 10th December 1957.

A letter dating from 1991 confirms that Sturgess of Leicester sold the XK150 on during 1957 to a Mr J Slater of Market Harborough. As is often the case the trail goes somewhat cold for ten years or so until the XK surfaces again, this time in Arizona, USA. A very tatty Application for Title and Registration document is on hand dating from 1975 and there it seems to have stayed for the next 13 years or so. By June 1988 the XK150 makes landfall in Felixstowe, having been re-imported by Classic Cars International. 

The XK150 goes dark again for a while before being acquired by the previous, and sixth DVLA recorded, owner in 2011. The current keeper then acquired the Jaguar at Matthewson’s auctions in early 2019. By that stage the XK had been prepared for fast road use thanks to a number of well-chosen modifications. These include a Fender Broad five speed gearbox, E Type clutch, 4HA rear axle, Koni shock absorbers, stainless steel exhaust, hi-torque starter motor, and an alloy fuel tank. The vendor notes that the original, matching number gearbox is included in the sale. Whilst under their stewardship the current owners had leant into that fast-road aesthetic by removing the bumpers (also included in the sale), adding a “Le Mans” filler cap, pressed steel bonnet vents and finishing the cross-spoked wire wheels in body colour. They have also fitted a well-respected EZ electric power steering system. Offered today with a comprehensive history file, a fascinating back story and sublime road-racer looks, and this is an XK150 to truly get excited about.

Please note that the 22 FSX registration number will be retained by the vendor. 

Estimate: £50,000 - £55,000

View Current Bid Price HERE