A 1957 Jaguar XKSS found a new owner last week during the RM Sotheby’s auction held in conjunction with the 2023 Monterey Car Week.
Following intense bidding, the car ultimately changed hands for $13,205,000, squarely within its estimated range of $12 million to $14 million.
This particular car, bearing chassis number 707, stands as one of the best-preserved examples of the Jaguar race car originally designed for the road. Notably, it retains much of its original bodywork, including an original engine block and head, along with two of its three carburetors, as stated in the auction listing. The odometer registers 25,535 miles, believed to represent the actual lifetime mileage.
The original XKSS cars were initially D-Type race cars adapted for road use and primarily sold to customers in the United States, including the legendary Steve McQueen. After securing back-to-back victories at Le Mans with the D-Type, Jaguar opted to withdraw from racing at the conclusion of the 1956 season, leaving behind some surplus D-Type chassis.
For the XKSS, Jaguar made modifications to the bodywork, removing the distinctive fin and adding essential amenities such as a passenger door, windshield, side curtains, and a folding top. Nevertheless, the company retained the 262-hp 3.4-liter inline-6 engine and other key mechanical components. The outcome was a road-ready version of a still-competitive race car. In 1957, the D-Type went on to achieve another Le Mans victory, this time under the privateer Ecurie Ecosse team.
Jaguar initially intended to produce 25 examples of the XKSS, but only 16 were completed in 1957 before a fire engulfed Jaguar’s Browns Lane factory. The unfinished cars were either consumed by the fire or later disassembled for spare parts. In 2016, Jaguar eventually crafted the final nine examples as continuation cars, each fetching $1.5 million.
Chassis number 707 belonged to the original batch of 16 cars. It was initially imported to the U.S. for delivery to racing driver Lou Brero Sr., who selected a cream exterior and red interior. Tragically, Brero Sr. passed away in a crash before taking delivery of the car. Consequently, the vehicle was sold to dealer Sammy Weiss, whose Sacramento dealership subsequently sold it to San Francisco resident and racer Sidney Colberg in 1960.
Colberg retained ownership of the XKSS for 15 years before selling it to British enthusiast Anthony Bamford. The car remained in the United Kingdom and changed hands several times. Over time, certain elements of the vehicle were replaced or repaired, including the original hood, which had sustained damage from racing incidents, and the rear bulkhead, which had holes originally cut for roll bars. The car also underwent a repaint and currently features a metallic blue hue, a tribute to the Ecurie Ecosse race cars.
RM Sotheby’s also achieved notable sales at the Monterey auction, including a 1967 Ferrari 275 GTB/4 for $5.4 million, a 2003 Ferrari Enzo for just over $4 million, and a 1990 Ferrari F40 for $3.3 million.The highest-priced Ferrari sale during Monterey Car Week was a 1967 412P race car, sold by rival auction house Bonhams for slightly over $30 million.
