A classic 66-year-old Jaguar motor which originally sold for £2,000 is now on sale for a whopping £85,000.
The 1959 XK150 SE DHC is described as one of the best ever offered.
It is now set to fetch £83,000 more than the original sale price.
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Even with inflation the car has more than doubled in value.
It would have cost £29,000 new now taking that into account.
It has a 3.4-litre engine capable of 0-60mph in 8.5 seconds and a top speed of 124mph.
And it has done just under 49,000 miles, as reported by Whats The Jam.
Its listing says: “A superbly restored and upgraded DHC, matching numbers and minimally used since completion; certainty, one of the best XK150 examples we have offered.
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“The XK150 was the final incarnation of the XK Series when it appeared in May 1957 and was offered as either a Fixed or Drop-Head Coupé and as a Roadster.
“A more refined and capable machine than its predecessors, the 150 was noticeably different from earlier versions of the XK theme, with a higher scuttle and door line, whilst the radiator grille reverted to the thinner slats of the XK120 but was altogether wider.
“The bumpers were deeper and wrapped around, a curved windscreen replaced the divided one on the XK120 and 140, and much needed servo-assisted Dunlop disc brakes were fitted at each corner.
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“However, the XK150 retained much of the mechanical layout of the 140, sharing the marque’s race-proven 180bhp 3.4-litre DOHC straight-six engine.
“The ‘Special Equipment’ (SE) package included enhancements like disc brakes, a more powerful engine with twin SU carburettors and a modified cylinder head and larger exhaust valves; the SE 3.4-litre cars were reputedly capable of 0-60mph in 8.5 seconds and 124mph.
Total XK150 DHC production amounted to just 2,672 cars for all RHD/LHD versions, plus all 3.4-litre and 3.8-litre variants.
“Unsurprisingly, they are highly prized.
“The car presented here is a 1959 Jaguar XK150 SE Drophead Coupé (DHC), manufactured on the 24th August 1959 and despatched to Jaguar Cars, New York on the 11th September 1959; the last known registration in the US was for the 23rd August 1981 in Greenville, Michigan.
“Our fastidious vendor wanted to restore an original, matching-numbers, manual gearbox car for his own use in retirement, so chose the best example he could find. He purchased this particular car from a dealer in New York on the 19th June 2014.
“It arrived in the UK on the 8th August 2014, and was taken directly to Bristol Classic & Sports Cars of Clevedon on the 15th August 2014.
“The DVLA authorised UK registration on the 3rd December 2015 and allocated the registration mark ‘244 UYO’.
“Our vendor instructed Bristol Classic & Sports Cars to carry out the most thorough and exacting restoration/upgrade program to his newly acquired XK.
“They commenced a fully documented nut and bolt restoration on the 8th October 2014 and it was completed on the 25th July 2016.
“The car was stripped to its bare chassis, whilst the bodywork and engine were painstakingly refurbished.
“The cars original 3.4-litre straight-six was thoroughly overhauled and subsequently upgraded with a later ‘S’ specification triple-carburettor cylinder head, whilst its original manual gearbox was, likewise, upgraded to ‘S’ specification with overdrive for increased drivability.
“In addition, the steering, suspension and disc brakes were reconditioned, renewed or improved as necessary, and a new wiring loom was installed.
“Since restoration, the car has always been garaged and has never been driven on a wet road.
“The pre-restoration mileage of 46,773 is believed to be correct and the odometer indicated just 48,785 miles when the car was photographed.
“The engine is now nicely run-in and the whole car, although obviously not new, looks and feels just like it.
“It’s accompanied by its Jaguar Heritage Certificate, a large history file, numerous photographs chronicling its rejuvenation, an owner service handbook, Jaguar workshop manual, XK owners parts catalogue, and a ‘collector edition’ parts catalogue.
“This is a really lovely example of a classic design with a desirable modern specification, all tucked away inside the timeless profile of this classic Jaguar.”
It is being auctioned by Iconic Auctioneers on 8 November at the NEC, Birmingham.
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