Jaguar XK 150 3.4 Litre roadster, 1959
Jaguar XK 150 3.4 Litre OTS (roadster), year 1959. Colour Carmen red combined with a black leather interior trimmed with black carpet. Black soft-top and tonneau cover. This glorious Jaguar XK 150 OTS (Open Two Seater, also named roadster in the USA) was sold new in the United States. The car was imported to the Netherlands in 1986 and purchased by the last owner in 2001. The (service) history is fully documented from 2009. A Heritage certificate is present, and the information states that this is a “matching numbers” Jaguar! The automobile is in a very good condition, and everything is up to date. The bodywork shows a perfect panel fit, nice paintwork and wonderful chrome trim. The six cylinder XK-engine was overhauled in 2014 by a specialist in the Netherlands. In 2016 EZ electric power steering was fitted. The 215-brake horsepower are transmitted to the rear wheels via a four speed manually operated gearbox with overdrive. This XK 150 roadster drives perfectly, this is one of the very best examples we have ever driven! The car shows all the original details, and it features desirable options like the dashboard centre in wood, 16” wire wheels shod with Vredestein Sprint Classic tyres, a pair of Lucas SFT576 fog/ cornering lamps at the front, power brakes, electronic ignition, an electric cooling fan, red safety belts and a “retro” radio with sat nav. This is a very desirable Jaguar XK 150 OTS (Roadster) in a wonderful condition, a fantastic classic drivers’ car which will bring loads of driving fun to a proud new owner. The Jaguar XK 150 3.4 Litre OTS is a rare car, only 1339 examples were built.
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The XK 150 replaced the Jaguar XK 140 in 1957. The undercarriage of the XK 150 was for the greater part equal to the XK 140’s, but its bodywork was new and broader. Though its design was again very refined, it was somewhat less dynamic as compared with the XK 120 and XK 140. The bodywork was less sleek and the design of the characteristic wing lines was now less markedly sloping. The increased width of the bodywork resulted in a wider grille which, in line with the best Jaguar’s tradition, was delicately integrated in its design. The XK 150 was the first of XK series with an unbroken panoramic windscreen.
Compared with the XK 140, the following technological improvements can be noted: the XK 150 was fitted with disc brakes on the front wheels and with more powerful engines. The 3.4-litre XK engine fetched a standard 210 hp, and the SE Special Equipment version even 250 hp. From 1958, the XK 150 was also available with a 3.8-litre XK engine with a capacity of no less than 265 hp.
Like the XK 120 and XK 140, the XK 150 was available in three variants: the roadster, the more spacious DHC (Drop Head Coupé) and the FHC (Fixed Head Coupé) with fixed steel roof. Production of the XK 150 was stopped in 1961, and after 13 years, the XK 120, XK140 and the XK 150 series were replaced by the Jaguar E-type.
Technical data*
Six cylinder engine (DOHC)
cylinder capacity: 3442 cc.
carburettors: 2 x S.U. HD6 1¾ inch
capacity: 250 hp. at 5500 rpm.
torque: 322 Nm at 4500 rpm.
top-speed: 136 mph. - 219 km/h.
acceleration 0-60 mph.: 7,9 sec.
gearbox: 4-speed manual / 3-speed automatic
weight: 1432,6 kg.
*Source: The Jaguar File
Jaguar history
Though the Jaguar brand was first used in 1945, its factory had been founded long before. In 1922, William Lyons and William Walmsley laid the foundation of the firm in Blackpool, England, with the name of Swallow Coachbuilding Co. The factory constructed motorcycles and sidecars and later bodies based on the Austin Seven chassis. When in the 1930s their own SS cars were built, the company name was changed into SS cars Ltd.
The SS cars were conventional saloons and drophead coupes in the way many other British brands built them.
For obvious reasons, After World War II the company name SS Cars Ltd. was changed into Jaguar Cars Ltd. It was the birth of the now famous and popular make of Jaguar.
The pre-war SS models were sold under the name of Jaguar until 1948, and in this year the saloon, the MK-V, and a sports car, which was the much talked of XK 120, were brought onto the market.
The XK 120 was very successful, and established the fame of this name as one of the icons in the history of motorcars. The XK 120 could reach 120 miles an hour (almost 200 km/h), which made it the fastest production car of its time. Moreover, the XK 120 cost much less than the other comparable production models by Aston Martin and Ferrari.
In 1951 and 1953, Jaguar won the 24-hour of Le Mans with a racer based on the XK 120, the Jaguar C-type. It made the name outright immortal. Success was continued the next years with the Jaguar D-type, which surpassed its competitors with its disc brakes.
The XK sports car series was a success and the XK 120 was succeeded by the XK 140 and XK 150 over the years. The deluxe saloons were a spur to victory with the introduction of the MK I in 1957 and the MK II in 1959. This self-willed, streamlined sedan was a real ‘wolf in sheep’s clothing’. The car was fitted with the powerful 3.4 litre XK six-cylinder engine, which was good for reaching a top-speed of about 200 km/h.
In 1960, Jaguar took over the British Daimler, and from that time onward it used the name of Daimler for its deluxe, comfort-oriented models, and the name of Jaguar for its sporty cars.
In 1961, the famous Jaguar E-Type was born. The E-Type was inspired by the D-Type racing car from the fifties. Like the XK, the E-Type was an icon in the history of car making, with an almost alien design and excellent technology. The E-Type appeared as a roadster, as an FHC (Fixed Head Coupe) and as a 2+2. They also built some special lightweight E-Types to prolong the racing successes of the past. However, they did not succeed as competitors had copied the technical achievements of the D-Type.
In the production of the deluxe saloons, a large MK X was added to the MK II, and the contiguous S-Type, the 240/340 series and the 420/420G series were brought onto the market.
In 1968, the Jaguar XJ was designed and though evolved in many ways, the XJ is available to this very day.…
In 1971, a V12 engine was added to the Jaguar E-Type, and later in the Daimler Double Six and the Jaguar XJ 12. At that time, it was the only twelve-cylinder engine in serial production in the world.
In the mid-seventies, the E-Type had to clear the field and besides the XJ, the special-lined 2+2 came onto the market. It was the XJS. This car was also available as a convertible.
So far the classic period. In the future the Jaguar history from 1980 will be filled in.
© Marc Vorgers