Jaguar XK 150 3.8 Litre

A 1960 Jaguar XK 150 in the abbey ruins at Beaulieu

Key facts

Year

1960
Country

Great Britain
Capacity

3,781cc
Cylinders

6 cylinder
Valves

Double overhead camshaft
Output

220bhp @ 5,500rpm
Maximum speed

132mph
Performance

0-60mph 7.8 seconds
Price new

£2,035
Owner

Montagu Collection
Manufacturer

Jaguar Cars Ltd, Coventry

The last of Jaguar’s famous XK line of sports cars, the XK 150 was introduced in early 1957 in 3.4-litre form. The more powerful 3.8-litre model, seen here, appeared in late 1959. It was the first series production car with four-wheel disc brakes, a fact that Jaguar highlighted in its advertising. The company had used the Dunlop disc-brake system on its racing cars since 1952.

The XK150 was available as both a fixed head and drophead coupe or as an open two seater or roadster. Like the XK120 and XK140 before it, the XK150 represented excellent value for money compared with its rivals. In 1960 the Aston Martin DB4 was priced at £3,968 and the Ferrari 250GT was over £6,000. In total 9,398 XK150s were built up to the end of production in 1961.