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Jaguar XKSS:: First of ten $1.65m revived classics debuts in LA

The Jaguar XKSS first rolled off the production line nearly 60 years ago, but this week the company has revealed a 'new original' example at the Los Angeles motor show.


A road-going version of the Le Mans-winning Jaguar D-Type from the mid-1950s, just 16 examples of the XKSS were built after nine were lost in a fire at Jaguar's Browns Lane factory in the British Midlands back in 1957.

Earlier this year, the British company announced the Jaguar Classic division would build the nine 'lost' XKSS sports cars for a select group of collectors and customers.

This first example, finished in Sherwood Green, is the result of 18 months of research and will be used as a blueprint for the following nine vehicles to be built.

Jaguar says the cars will be completely new, with period chassis numbers from the XKSS chassis log. All nine XKSS examples have been sold in excess of 1 million pounds each ($1.65 million).

Under the bonnet is a 3.4-litre straight six engine from the Jaguar D-Type, rated at 262hp (195kW).

The revived sports cars also feature period-specification four-wheel Dunlop disc brakes with a Plessey pump, and Dunlop tyres with riveted two-piece magnesium alloy wheels.

Inside, the 'new original' XKSS features recreations of the original Smiths gauges, with everything from the wood on the steering wheel, the grain of the leather seats, and the brass knobs on the XKSS dashboard built to the same specification as it would have been in 1957.

However, some changes have been made, including the new cast iron blocks, cast cylinder heads and Weber DC03 carburetors.

Other specification changes include the fuel cell, which now uses modern materials to support modern fuels.

Customer vehicles will be hand-built from this year, with an estimated 10,000 man hours required for each XKSS.

The nine 'new original' Jaguar XKSS vehicles are the second run of continuation cars created by Jaguar, after the company's Special Operations arm produced six Lightweight E-Types in 2014.

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