A CLASSIC SHOWCASE RESTORATION
Classic Showcase is pleased to announce our latest exciting Jaguar build to collectors looking for something special - the Jaguar XKSS. We wanted to give a quick update on our progress. We started creating one of our first internal "prototypes" of these special cars earlier in the year and have reached some exciting milestones we wanted to briefly share for those who may be interested in acquiring one of these special, limited-edition builds! Please contact us if you are interested in discussing owning our next XKSS build. A you can see in the galleries below, the XKSS has made great progress in our assembly area and will be ready for road testing in the Spring of 2024. Be sure to stay tuned to our Spring newsletter issue for the conclusion on our first XKSS prototype build, as well as showing you previews of our next XKSS build scheduled for completion next year!
Steve McQueen in his XKSS
The Jaguar XKSS is a road-going version of the Jaguar D-Type racing car, initially built in 1957. Only 16 were built and sold at the time. Nine were destroyed in a factory fire in 1957. In 2016 Jaguar announced that a small production run of nine "continuation" XKSS reproductions would be hand-built to the original specifications to complete the originally scheduled run of 25. Following Jaguar's withdrawal from competition at the end of the 1956 season, a number of completed and partly completed D-types remained unsold at the Browns Lane factory. In an attempt to recoup some of the investment made in building these unused chassis, and to exploit the lucrative American market for high-performance European sports cars, Sir William Lyons decided to convert a number to road-going specification. Only minor changes were made to the basic D-type structure: the addition of a passenger side door; the removal of the large fin behind the driver; and the removal of the divider between passenger and driver seats. In addition, changes were made for cosmetic, comfort and legal reasons: a full-width, chrome-surrounded windscreen was added; sidescreens were added to both driver and passenger doors; a rudimentary, folding, fabric roof was added for 40 rear light clusters were mounted higher on the wings; and thin chrome strips were added to the edges of the front light fairings. By early 1957 a total of 16 of the planned production run of 25 XKSS's had been completed at Jaguar's Browns Lane plant. On the evening of 12 February a fire broke out, destroying the remaining nine in mid-production. All of the destroyed vehicles had been destined for North America. Most of the previously built 16 XKSSs were also sold in the US.
