Having dominated international sports car racing during the 1950s with five victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans alone, Jaguar stunned the world when it announced a temporary hiatus from motor racing in October 1956. While the then-current D-Type was thoroughly sorted, tested, and reliable after three hard-fought racing seasons, upcoming regulations including a 3.0-litre displacement limit rendered it obsolete at the height of its success. Considering 25 D-Types remained unsold at the time, a thinly disguised road model was soon developed especially for the elite North American sports-car market, designated XKSS.

Conversion of the basic D-Type to the XKSS was quite straightforward, requiring no major structural alterations. The central division between driver and passenger was removed, the driver’s head fairing excised, and a second door fitted for passenger access. Weather gear included side screens and a simple folding top. A full-width, framed wraparound windscreen and twin windshield wipers were fitted, a rear luggage rack was added, and the car’s bright headlamp trim and delicate bumpers foreshadowed those of the E-Type still to come. Delivering incredible power-to-weight with its 250 available hp, the 3.4-litre XKSS maintained the D-Type’s legendary, race-proven performance with a top speed approaching 150 mph, 0–60 acceleration under 6.0 seconds, and 100 mph reached from standstill in just over 13 seconds.

Since new, the 16 completed examples of the XKSS have been coveted by the world’s top collectors and Jaguar enthusiasts, including Hollywood legend Steve McQueen, who helped cement the Jaguar’s legend in America as one of the finest and most glamorous postwar sports cars ever produced.

Nearly 60 years later, in March 2016, Jaguar announced it would complete the originally planned 25-car XKSS production run with the construction of nine cars to take the place of those lost in the Browns Lane fire. Fittingly, production would take place at the new Jaguar Land Rover Classic facilities on Browns Lane, where the Lightweight E-Type Continuation cars had been built earlier. Intensive research was conducted for more than 18 months on the XKSS Continuation project, including a detailed study and digital scanning of several original XKSS examples utilized, to develop an initial prototype for the nine production cars.

Each XKSS Continuation car was assigned one of the original nine chassis numbers from the lost 1957 cars and traditional construction methods were used extensively, including body panels hand-formed over a styling buck and bronze-welding techniques. Unwavering authenticity and attention to original details included correct Dunlop four-wheel disc brakes and riveted two-piece magnesium wheels. Engines were manufactured to original XKSS specifications, featuring new 3.4-litre cylinder blocks, with induction via correct Weber DCO3 twin-choke carburetors. Other correct details included the control knobs, Smiths instruments, original type leather upholstery, and cloth-covered electrical wiring. Deviations from originality were strictly limited to select enhancements for comfort and safety, including a modern fuel cell and slightly larger seats within the snug XKSS cockpit. Predictably, soon after the announcement of the XKSS Continuation program was made by Jaguar in 2016, all nine examples were sold to eager collectors, including the consignor of this example, chassis 77723.

Finished in black over black leather, this is a wonderful example of the nine built, benefiting from single-owner care and strictly limited use with just 62 indicated miles at the time of cataloguing. Following acquisition and delivery to the US, the XKSS was professionally inspected by race car specialists, including inspection for a chassis alignment, rendering this extremely significant Jaguar collectible, ready for touring as desired. Accompanying items include a correct folding top and side curtains, spare, roadside wheel tools, a wheel hammer, and a Jaguar car cover. Documentation includes build details and operating instructions, plus a Certificate of Origin and Manufacture issued by Jaguar Land Rover Limited. This XKSS Continuation represents an exceptionally rare opportunity and stands ready to celebrate the glory days of the 1950s when Jaguar firmly established itself as one of the world’s greatest marques.