Cars that made way to the roads during the 50’s are widely regarded as some of the most appealing designs till date, be it the likes of a Pontiac Catalina, Chevy Bel Air or the Buick Super. One such car had come out from Jaguar’s stable called the XKSS, and had won hearts around the globe instantly.
The story behind XKSS was that when Jaguar withdrew from Le-Mans at the end of the 1956 season, a number of completed and partly completed D-types remained unsold and in order to bank on these unfinished and unused chassis of their D-Type racing car, the company rolled out a limited edition run of the XKSS. The demand for cars and even its replicas is still high today and fetches millions of dollars. And based on the British automaker’s latest announcement, the race to get one of these cars is about to reach a whole new level.
The company has confirmed that it is building nine continuation examples of the 1957 classic.
One of the most loved and lusted after of all race-bred Jaguars, the XKSS was one of Steve McQueen's favourite cars and that's not surprising, seeing as it was essentially a road-legal version of the company's Le Mans-winning D-Type.
Each of the new cars will be built by hand, using exactly the same techniques and materials as with the original car. And the reason that the production run is so limited is because nine models in the original run were destroyed by a fire at the Jaguar factory.
They had been destined for US customers but were never replaced.
That's also why the continuation XKSS will be making its global debut in the US at the LA Auto Show this November.
Tim Hannig, Director of Jaguar Land Rover Classic, said: "The continuation XKSS reaffirms our commitment to nurture the passion and enthusiasm for Jaguar's illustrious past by offering exceptional cars, services, parts and experiences."
(With inputs from AFP Relaxnews)
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