Jaguar ressurects nine XKSS supercars lost to 1957 fire

By CARSIFU | 23 March 2016

LONDON: Nine new Jaguar XKSS’s - often referred to by experts as the world’s first supercar - will be hand built by Jaguar Classic to the exact specification as they appeared in 1957, replacing the cars lost due to the famous Browns Lane factory fire.

The original cars were earmarked for export to the US, but only 16 were completed before the fire.

After 59 years, the British luxury car maker will build nine XKSS sports cars previously ‘lost’ for a select group of established collectors and customers for a price of over £1 million (RM6mil).

The expertise gained during the construction of the Lightweight E-type project will be transferred to the construction of the nine ultra-exclusive continuations.

Each of the nine will be hand-built at Jaguar’s new ‘Experimental Shop’ in Warwick and will be constructed to the same specifications as the first 16 made in 1957 – every aspect fully certified by Jaguar. .

The story of the XKSS began following Jaguar’s three successive Le Mans victories in 1955, 1956 and 1957 with the all-conquering D-type.

After the hat-trick of wins, Sir Williams Lyons took the decision on Jan 14 1957 to convert the remaining 25 D-types into road-going versions with several external modifications, thereby creating the world’s first super car.

These modifications included the addition of a new higher windscreen, an extra door on the passenger side, taking away the divider between driver and passenger and the removal of the famous fin behind the driver’s seat.

The first deliveries of the new continuation Jaguar XKSS will commence in early 2017.

“The XKSS occupies a unique place in Jaguar’s history and is a car coveted by collectors the world over for its exclusivity and unmistakable design. Jaguar Classic’s highly skilled team of engineers and technicians will draw on decades of knowledge to ensure each of the nine cars is completely authentic and crafted to the highest quality," said Jaguar Land Rover Classic director Tim Hannig.