Jaguar XK150: The Grand Tourer That Could Race
Share
There are fast cars, beautiful cars, and then there are cars that manage to be both at once. The Jaguar XK150 belongs firmly in the latter category. Unveiled in 1957 as the final evolution of Jaguar's legendary XK series, it was the most refined, the most powerful, and in the eyes of many, the most desirable of the lot. Sixty-odd years on, it still stops traffic.
Origins and History
The XK150 arrived as the direct successor to the XK140, itself a development of the ground-breaking XK120 that had launched in 1948. By the mid-1950s, Jaguar needed to move the car forward, both technically and commercially. The XK150 debuted at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1957 and went on sale shortly after, offered initially as an open two-seater and a fixed-head coupe.
A drophead coupe followed that same year, giving buyers three distinct body styles to choose from. Production ran until 1961, by which point Jaguar was already deep into developing the E-Type. The XK150 was always going to be a hard act to follow.
The Design
Compared to the XK140, the XK150 sat on a wider body with a curved one-piece windscreen replacing the earlier split-pane unit. The bonnet was flatter, the front wings higher, and the overall silhouette more substantial. Some purists prefer the narrower, more delicate lines of the XK120, but the XK150 has a presence and confidence that its predecessors lack.
The interior received a thorough update too. A wider cockpit, improved instrumentation, and better trim quality made it a genuinely comfortable grand tourer rather than a spartan sports car. Jaguar was building something you could actually live with on a long run to the south of France.
In S and SE specification the wire wheels, chrome wire mesh grille and sweeping wings combine to produce one of the most photographed silhouettes in British motoring history. Red against an Alpine backdrop is, frankly, hard to beat.
Performance and Driving
Under the bonnet sat the twin-cam XK engine, the same basic unit that had powered Jaguar's C-Type and D-Type racers to victory at Le Mans. In standard XK150 form it displaced 3.4 litres, producing 190 bhp. That was enough for a 0-60 time of around 8.5 seconds and a top speed nudging 125 mph, remarkable figures for a road car of the late 1950s.
The real fireworks came with the S models, which used a straight-port cylinder head and triple SU carburettors to push output to 250 bhp. The 3.8 S, introduced in 1959, was the flagship, capable of reaching 60 mph in under seven seconds and topping 136 mph. Jaguar had essentially turned a grand tourer into a genuine sports car without telling anyone.
Disc brakes all round were standard fitment from launch, a genuine first for a production car sold in Britain. After the drum-braked XK140, the improvement in stopping power was transformative. The steering, while not razor-sharp, had real feel and communication. Driving an XK150 today, particularly an S model, is still a properly engaging experience.
Notable Variants
The XK150 was offered in three engine tunes across its production run. The standard 3.4 is the entry point, relatively affordable and widely available. The 3.4 S ups the ante considerably with its triple-carburettor setup. The 3.8 and 3.8 S, produced from late 1959, are the ones collectors covet most, combining the larger displacement with the improved breathing of the S specification.
Fixed-head coupes are the most numerous survivors. Roadsters are rarer and command a premium, while the drophead coupe sits somewhere between the two. All three body styles have their advocates, and arguments about which is the most beautiful have been running since 1957 with no sign of resolution.
Buying a Jaguar XK150 Today
A good XK150 will cost you. Standard 3.4 fixed-head coupes in solid, usable condition typically start around £50,000. Roadsters and S-specification cars in excellent shape can reach £150,000 or more, with the finest 3.8 S examples pushing higher still. Values have been strong and consistent, underpinned by genuine worldwide demand.
Bodywork is the first thing to check. The steel body is prone to rust in the sills, floors, and inner wings, and a full restoration is an expensive undertaking. Engines are robust and well-supported by specialists, but look for oil leaks around the cam covers and check the timing chain hasn't been neglected. Gearboxes, both the four-speed manual and the optional automatic, are generally reliable when properly maintained.
The XK community is excellent. The Jaguar Enthusiasts Club and the XK Register both have deep knowledge and good contacts for parts and specialist work. Buying through a recognised specialist or well-documented private sale is strongly recommended. A car with a clear history and sensible recent expenditure will always cost more than a project, but it will cost you less in the long run.
Shop Jaguar XK150 Art at KK Automotive Art
The XK150's lines deserve to be celebrated. Our artwork captures the drama of this British classic in striking detail, available as phone cases, iPad cases, mugs and prints.
Explore more British classics in our classic cars blog.