1959 Jaguar XK 150 Drop Head Coupe Very Nice car out of long term ownership

The Jaguar XK150 is a sports car produced by Jaguar between 1957 and 1961 as the successor to the XK140.

Initially it was only available in fixed head coupé (FHC) and drophead coupé (DHC) versions. The roadster without full weather equipment which had begun the XK line was launched as the XK150 OTS (open two-seater) in 1958. Minimal rear seats were fitted in the coupés. The open two-seater was fitted for the first time with wind-up windows in taller high-silled doors, but retained the very simple folding roof of its predecessors.

Announced in its home market in May 1957 the XK150 bore a family resemblance to the XK120 and XK140 but was radically revised. Most visibly, a one-piece windscreen replaced the split screen, and the wing line carried higher and more streamlined at the doors. The widened bonnet opened down to the wings, and on the coupés the windscreen frame was moved forward 4 inches to make passenger access easier. The car was available at various times in Red, Pearl Grey, White, Indigo Blue, Claret, Cotswold Blue, Black, Mist Grey, Sherwood Green, Carmen Red, British Racing Green, Cornish Grey, and Imperial Maroon.

The XK150's dashboard came trimmed in leather, with walnut optional on all models. On the early drophead coupés, the aluminum center dash panel, which was discontinued after June 1958, had an X pattern engraving similar to the early 3.8 E-Type. Thinner doors gave more interior space. Suspension and chassis were very similar to the XK140, with manual-only rack and pinion steering. The 3.4 litre DOHC straight-6 XK engine was similar to the XK140's, but a new "B" type cylinder head raised power to 180 SAE bhp at 5750 rpm.

The first closed and convertible XK150s were slower than their predecessors. After a twelve-month delay caused by the February 1957 factory fire, this deficit was corrected in the spring of 1958 with the March release of special equipment models fitted with disc brakes and more powerful SE engine. Twin 1.75-inch SU HD6 carburettors and a modified B type cylinder head with larger exhaust valves improved performance to 210 SAE bhp at 5500 rpm. While most export cars were SE models, a third option for the open two-seater featured an "S" engine with three 2-inch (51 mm) SU HD8 carburettors and a straight-port cylinder head boosting power to a claimed 250 SAE bhp. In 1960 the 220 hp 3.8 litre engine fitted in the full-sized luxury Mark IX saloon since October 1958 became available. It was tuned to produce up to 265 hp in S models and propel an XK150 to 135 mph and from 0–60 mph in around 7.0 seconds. Fuel economy was 18mpg. Four-wheel Dunlop 12 in disc brakes appeared for the first time as an option.

Over the Model run 9,382 XK150's were produced with only 2,672 Drop Head Coupe's among them.

This Very Nice Example really needs nothing but a happy new owner. The car has reportedly covered only 26,000 miles from new. In the current owners care for the past 28 years, an all new Interior, and Top were added in 2022. The Panel Gaps are straight and true, and the Chrome is in excellent condition, and the car has a very nice paint job with only the most minor of flaws visible only upon close inspection. The car starts right up and runs strong.

Accompanied By Books, Some Tools, and Manuals, as well as a a file of records and receipts, this numbers matching example ticks all the boxes.