Classic Jaguar of 50s for limited edition rebuild

This is the Jaguar XKSS, first built in the mid-50s based on the D-Type racer which won the Le Mans 20 Hours in 1954, writes Brian Byrne.

Just 25 of them were planned, but only 16 were built because of a fire in 1957 at the company’s Brown’s Lane production facility.

Now Jaguar is building the ‘missing’ nine cars, to almost the same specification and in the same hand-built manner of the originals. Only very minor changes, for modern safety reasons, have been made.

It will be powered by a 262hp 3.4 straight-six, like the originals.

All nine, planned for production by the Jaguar Classic division starting next year, have been presold, at prices estimated to be $1.5m each.

One of the surviving originals, which was owned by film star and motor racing enthusiast Steve McQueen, is said to be worth $30m.