JAGUAR’S TRUE GREATS

1950s

XK150

Sports car perfection

When the original XK120 made its debut in 1948, Jaguar wasn’t intending it to be a fully-fledged production model. The intention was to grab some headlines, followed by sales of perhaps a few hundred examples. But press and public alike had other ideas, and by the start of the 1950s the production version of the XK120 was a major success, a trend that continued when the short-lived XK140 took a bow in ’54. It was, however, in May 1957 that the finest of all the XKs took a bow: the XK150.

The newcomer was instantly recognisable as an XK, albeit with a more modern twist thanks to its one-piece curved windscreen, enlarged grille, wider bonnet and higher waistline. It was also a more practical proposition than the XK120 and ’140, with a useful amount of extra cabin space. The increase in elbow room was certainly welcome, achieved partly via thinner doors with a straight-topped edge, doing away with the previously intrusive curves.

Entry and exit was dramatically improved too, with the windscreen being moved forward by four inches to allow easier access, while the interior itself boasted extra equipment and a touch more sophistication – with a leather padded dashboard top, redesigned instrumentation and winding windows. Body-wise, buyers could initially choose from FHC (fixed-head coupe) and DHC (drophead coupe) models, although a roadster was to follow in March 1958 – with its scuttle moved back to give it a longer bonnet and a racier appearance. The changes to the range were far more than skin deep, with the XK150 famously adopting the Dunlop-designed