Jaguar Is Building Nine 'Brand-New' Versions Of The XKSS

Jaguar will be recreating the nine XKSS 'supercars' that were lost in the Browns Lane factory fire, built to the exact same specification as the original cars

Neil Winn

Updated: 10 Oct 2024

After the success of Jaguar’s Lightweight E-Type project, Tim Hanning - the Director of Jaguar Land Rover Classic - has given the go ahead for another “ultra-exclusive continuation model”. This time, the team will be producing nine ‘brand-new’ examples of the XKSS, a car Jaguar refers to as the “world’s first supercar”.

The XKSS was designed as a road-going version of the highly successful D-Type Le Mans racer. The story goes that after three successive Le Mans victories in 1955, 1956 and 1957, Jaguar Cars co-founder Sir Williams Lyons decided to convert the remaining race specification D-Types into road cars. This was done by adding a higher windscreen, a passenger door and by removing the iconic fin behind the driver’s seat.

Jaguar originally planned to convert 25 of these stunning machines back in 1957, but the final run only amounted to 16, with nine vehicles being lost in the famous Browns Lane factory fire. What Jaguar Heritage will do is replace the ‘lost’ nine cars, but it’s important to note that these cars are not replicas, as every XKSS will be constructed to the exact same specification as those 16 made in 1957.

If you want one of these stunning classics, Jaguar has stated that the price will be in excess of £1 million. Deliveries are expected to take place in early 2017.

Comments

This is why I love Jaguar. They just give us what we want

Wait not replica’s? How does that even work? What qualifies as a replica? The 9 originals were destroyed in a fire, so these are replica’s, or am I missing something?

Wasn’t the Miura the first real supercar tho

Id be content with just touching one.

So would you title it as a 1957 or 2017?

Welp. Time to sell some internal organs.

Would be intersesting trying to define what type of car this is. I would not call it a replica, as its still a genuine Jaguar built car, just a few decades between production runs. But how close to the original 50’s spec are they wiling to go? Original electrical system? Enamel/Acrylic paint?

Sorry but no matter what Jaguar say and how well they build them, they will always be replicas. Hense why the e-type light weights and also these xkss will never be invited to race at goodwood festival of speed or goodwood revival. Not built at the same time as the originals or original chassis = replica. A factory replica but a replica none the less….still very nicely built though