Jaguar to build nine XKSS ‘continuation’ cars lost in 1957

Jaguar’s Classic division has announced that it will recreate the nine XKSS road cars that were destroyed by a factory fire in 1957.

Essentially a road-going version of the Le Mans winning D-Type, the XKSS is often billed as the world’s first supercar. In an era when most cars struggled to hit 100mph, the XKSS was capable of hitting speeds in excess of 140mph.

The nine so-called continuation cars will be hand-built at Jaguar’s new ‘Experimental Shop’ in Warwick. It doesn’t appear as though any original parts will be used in the construction of the nine continuation cars, but Jaguar promises that all XKSS’s will be “constructed to the same specifications as those first 16 made in 1957.”

“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,” said Tim Hannig, Director Jaguar Land Rover Classic. “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.”

A total of 16 XKSS’s made it out of the Browns Lane factory before the fire destroyed the remaining nine cars and the tools to build them in 1957. Some of those cars have passed through the hands of famous owners, including Steve McQueen.

Jaguar says some of the nine continuation cars are still available for purchase, but any buyer will need to have deep pockets; the automaker says each one will command more than 1 million pounds.