Oh, what potential! When I was in college, one of the professors drove a beautiful XK150 coupe every day — I remember loving it but wishing it were a roadster! Here’s one you can restore yourself and it’s a rare combination of left-hand drive and a manual transmission with overdrive! The asking price for this desirable combination is $48,000 and the car is located in Acton, Massachusetts. If you’re interested in this feline roadster, you can reader Michael G through the form at the bottom of this post!
In Michael’s own words:
What Makes It Special? This vehicle has all matching numbers and is one of 222 left-hand drive XK150 OTSs with overdrive. This is a 1959 Jaguar XK 150 Open Two-Seat (OTS) Roadster w/overdrive. There were 2173 XK150’s produced overall model years (1957-1959). 489 were produced with overdrive (both left-hand and right-hand drive). This is a rare combination. All matching numbers with an odometer reading 34,343 miles. The car has been garaged for over 40 years and needs a new home and restoration. I am the third owner and have a clear title in hand.
Body Condition: The body condition is fair to poor. The body is relatively free of rust but the rear door pillars on both sides are rusted through. The door hinge pillars are solid. The boot well is relatively solid. The interior carpeting was removed years ago but the seats are intact.
The most significant changes with the introduction of the XK150 were to the styling with a taller and wider body to allow for a roomier cockpit and give a fresh look heading into the 1960s. Its original finish was in blue with black interior. It was repainted white in the 1970s.
Over the years we have traded for and purchased parts that will be required to get the car back in top condition. Too many to list–I have included a few pictures. Selling everything together as a package. This car needs a full restoration to be brought back to its original beauty. The motor was last running in the 1990s but is free and clear.
Mechanical Condition: Power comes from the 3.4-liter version of the XK twin-cam in-line six-cylinder fitted with twin S.U. carburetors. 1959 was the first year to introduce Dunlop 4-wheel disk brakes. My father and I had it running back in the early 1990s. The engine is complete and is free. The electrical system needs to be completely redone. The brakes need to be rebuilt. It needs a complete overhaul.
So what do you think? I’m remembering my college XK150 roadster dreams with a smile on my face — contact Michael using the form below if you are smiling too! And if you have a cool British Roadster parked in your garage that needs to go, please consider listing it here on Barn Finds!
- Asking Price: $48,000
- Location: Acton MA
- Mileage: 34343
- Title Status: Clean
- VIN: S830116DN
I have No Idea what it would cost in Money and Time to correctly bring this car back to a great structural/looking/running/driving condition. More than I have to invest of both, that I do know.
But I also feel strongly that if I had enough of the two necessities, it would be oh so worth expending them. The XK series cars have always held a special place of style and sporting elegance in my mind. I am glad that this one has been preserved well enough as a project over the years, instead of having been put under a tarp behind the shed to slowly revert to the elements from whence it was constructed.
Good luck to whomever takes this on. I hope we see updates about the car in the future. If a BF participant gets and redoes the car, I’d travel pretty much anywhere in the States, just to get a ride in it.
I love your last paragraph! What an awesome thought!
Ridicuosly expensive to restore. That doesn’t mean it’s not insanely cool.
Love the body style but too much to take on at this stage of life.
Confused about the Headline, OTC? I get the OTS.
Sorry about that! It’s been fixed.
Thanks Josh! with all the terms for ragtops, ‘cabriolet, cabrio, drop top, open two-seater, open top, soft top, spider’, I was sure I could have missed one. BMW calls my Z3 a Roadster, and I think that is incorrect. Take care, Mike.
I prefer the looks of the XK120 over the XK150 myself..although the XK150 is probably a better car. It would cost a small fortune to restore this one – at $48,000 I question if you’d be upside down in it financially if you bought it and restored it it. That being said — I doubt the person who buys it would care lol :) … its not like you can just drive down the street to the next dealership and get a different one. Plus — even if you were upside down in it — for how long? They’re going up in value.
Back in 1965 I could have bought a nice XK150 hardtop for $150, but the owner didn’t tell me it was for sale. :(
I’m not sure that the asking price is realistic; just eyeballing the car it looks like North of $100,000 to make it gorgeous again and driveable with pride. If you intend to keep it, have deep pockets and know a competent restoration shop this is for you.
I’m looking down the back of my sofa right now on the basis my initials are ASB. Darn!! What a gorgeous car this will be once restored to its former glory. I hope there are updates in due course, its worth waiting for.