1959 JAGUAR XK150 3.4L DROPHEAD COUPE

EXTENSIVELY DOCUMENTED RESTORATION | LONG TERM NEW YORK OWNERSHIP | 214 MILES DURING CURRENT OWNERSHIP

MOTORVAULT is pleased to offer this 1959 Jaguar XK150 Drophead Coupe, a beautifully presented example accompanied by an unusually extensive archive documenting a comprehensive restoration performed by British Auto/USA during the 1990s.

The documentation is a significant part of this Jaguar's story. Period correspondence, photographs, estimates, invoices and payment records document the restoration as it progressed from substantial body reconstruction through paint, mechanical assembly, wiring, interior work and final completion.

The XK150 was later offered on Bring a Trailer in 2021 showing 33,602 miles, where it was purchased by the current owner. Today, the odometer shows 33,816 miles, representing just 214 miles during the current ownership.

VEHICLE SPECIFICATIONS

Year: 1959
Make: Jaguar
Model: XK150
Body Style: Drophead Coupe
VIN / Chassis: S838240
Engine: 3.4 Liter DOHC Inline Six
Transmission: Manual
Exterior: Black
Interior: Red
Convertible Top: Tan
Wheels: Chrome Wire Wheels
Odometer: 33,816 miles shown
Mileage at 2021 Purchase: 33,602 miles shown
Mileage During Current Ownership: Approximately 214 miles
Total Mileage: Unknown
Title: Indiana title
Current Ownership: Purchased through Bring a Trailer in 2021

OVERVIEW

Introduced as the final evolution of Jaguar's XK sports car line, the XK150 combined the fundamental architecture and character of its XK120 and XK140 predecessors with a more refined body, improved visibility and greater comfort. This example is particularly compelling because its restoration is not simply represented by a handful of receipts. The accompanying archive provides a detailed look into the work performed over a period of years.

Records from British Auto/USA in Manchester, New Hampshire document a major restoration commissioned by longtime New York owner Peter Smith. Estimates and correspondence begin in the early 1990s, followed by extensive invoices and period photographs documenting the car in various stages of disassembly, metalwork, refinishing and reassembly.

A November 2, 1992 letter from British Auto/USA is particularly informative. It describes work beginning while awaiting a new rear body section from England and notes that the original boot lid had been sent to England so it could be fitted to that replacement section.

Period photographs preserved with the car further document the extent of the project, showing the body stripped and separated, bare and repaired metalwork, chassis and suspension components, engine and drivetrain installation, paint preparation and the eventual reassembly of the completed Jaguar.

The result is an XK150 whose restoration history can be followed through the surviving paperwork and photography rather than reconstructed decades later from memory.

RESTORATION HISTORY

The British Auto/USA archive documents work encompassing virtually every major area of the Jaguar.

The project included substantial structural and body restoration. Records reference replacement and repair of rear body sections, door skins, quarter panels, tonneau panels, splash panels, inner wings, bulkhead structures, sill assemblies, shut-face panels, battery-box components and numerous related pieces.

Importantly, the paperwork includes documentation for a replacement rear body section sourced from England. Contemporary correspondence states that the car's boot lid was sent to England and fitted to the new rear section before it was shipped back for installation.

The photographic record provides additional context, showing extensive stripping and metal preparation as well as the body at different stages of repair and refinishing.

British Auto/USA also documented extensive work involving:

BODY & STRUCTURE

Major body disassembly and reconstruction
Replacement rear body section
Door and quarter-panel work
Inner-wing and splash-panel work
Sill and shut-face work
Body alignment and fitting
Sheet-metal fabrication and repair
Body preparation and refinishing
Black exterior paintwork

MECHANICAL

Cooling-system refurbishment
Radiator work
Water-pump rebuilding
Fuel-system components
Carburetor-related components
Exhaust system
Chassis components
Mechanical shop labor
Generator rebuilding
Driveline-related components

ELECTRICAL & INSTRUMENTATION

Electrical-system components
Wiring harnesses
Starter and charging-system components
Lighting components
Switches and relays
Speedometer rebuild
Tachometer rebuild
Clock rebuild
Fuel-gauge rebuild
Oil/water-gauge rebuild
Amp-gauge rebuild

INTERIOR & CONVERTIBLE TOP

Full interior materials
Convertible top
Seat components
Floor boards
Trim pieces
Wood bows
Top hardware
Interior trim and finishing supplies

TRIM & FINISHING

Chrome plating
Nickel plating
Cadmium plating
Exterior brightwork
Badges and emblems
Factory-style identification plates and decals
Rubber seals and weatherstripping

This was clearly not a cosmetic repaint or limited refurbishment. The surviving records and photographs document a comprehensive restoration involving the structure, body, mechanical systems, electrical systems, interior and trim.

RESTORATION COST & DOCUMENTATION

The historical estimates are themselves noteworthy.

British Auto/USA prepared extensive parts and labor estimates in 1991 covering nearly every component required to restore the XK150. A revised labor and supplies quote dated October 14, 1991 alone totaled $61,900, at a period shop rate of $45 per hour.

Individual estimates documented thousands of dollars in sheet metal, interior components, trim, electrical components, cooling-system parts, chassis components, brightwork and restoration supplies.

Subsequent invoices demonstrate that the project moved well beyond the estimating stage and into an extensive multi-year restoration.

Examples within the archive include documented invoices and progress billings for:

November 1992: $11,682.00
February 1993: $2,843.50
September 1993: $3,347.50
September 1993: $1,912.50
February 1994: $10,754.06
March 1994: $2,191.73
May 1994: $10,083.42
May 1994: $12,574.48

Several surviving invoices also carry handwritten payment information, check numbers and payment dates.

These records should not be interpreted simply by adding every estimate and invoice together, since estimates, progress billings and final invoices can overlap. Their greater importance is the level of detail they provide regarding the scope and progression of the restoration.

PERIOD RESTORATION PHOTOGRAPHY

An extensive group of period photographs accompanies the Jaguar.

The images show the XK150 throughout its restoration and include views of:

Body panels separated from the car
Bare and repaired sheet metal
Rear body reconstruction
Bodywork and primer stages
Chassis and suspension components
Engine and transmission installation
Engine-bay assembly
Dashboard and wiring installation
Painted bodywork during reassembly
Exterior trim installation
Convertible-top installation
Near-completed and completed presentation

These photographs are especially useful when viewed alongside the British Auto/USA invoices because they visually support the scope of the work described in the records.

OWNERSHIP & PROVENANCE

The restoration documentation identifies Peter Smith of New York City as the owner commissioning the work. Correspondence and invoices from British Auto/USA span multiple years and document an ongoing relationship between owner and restoration facility as the project progressed.

The Jaguar remained associated with this documented ownership for many years following restoration.

In 2021, the XK150 was offered on Bring a Trailer showing 33,602 miles. The auction concluded at $102,000, and the car was purchased by its current owner. The current odometer reading is 33,816 miles, meaning approximately 214 miles have been added since the 2021 purchase.

The Indiana title identifies the vehicle as a 1959 Jaguar XK150, VIN S838240, with mileage listed as exempt.

The extensive historical documentation and restoration photographs have remained with the car.

EXTERIOR

The XK150 is finished in Black, a particularly appropriate color for the model's flowing bodywork.

Chrome wire wheels, bright exterior trim and the XK150's signature grille provide contrast against the dark bodywork. The tan convertible top gives the car a traditional British grand touring appearance when raised.

The period restoration photographs show the exterior through multiple stages of metal preparation, bodywork, paint and reassembly.

As expected with a restoration now approximately three decades old, the car should be viewed as an older restored example rather than a freshly completed concours restoration. Please review the complete photography for its present cosmetic condition.

INTERIOR

The cabin is trimmed in red and provides a strong contrast against the Black exterior. British Auto/USA documentation references a full XK150 Drophead Coupe interior along with seat components, floor boards, wood top bows, tack rails, trim pieces and associated materials.

The traditional Jaguar dashboard, instrumentation, steering wheel and bright interior fittings retain the character that defines the XK series.

The restoration records also document rebuilding of the primary instruments, including the speedometer, tachometer, clock, fuel gauge, oil/water gauge and amp gauge.

ENGINE & MECHANICAL

Power comes from Jaguar's 3.4 liter DOHC inline six paired with a manual transmission. The restoration documentation records work throughout the supporting mechanical systems, including the cooling system, fuel system, carburetion, electrical system, exhaust and chassis components.

Period photographs show the engine and drivetrain outside the body during the restoration as well as their subsequent installation and engine-bay assembly.

The documentation includes radiator work, a rebuilt water pump, generator rebuilding, ignition components, fuel-system components and related mechanical labor.

CURRENT MILEAGE

The odometer currently shows:

33,816 MILES

When purchased by the current owner through Bring a Trailer in 2021, the Jaguar showed:

33,602 MILES

Approximately 214 miles have therefore been added during the current ownership.

Because of the vehicle's age and the exempt mileage designation on its Indiana title, total accumulated mileage is unknown and MOTORVAULT does not represent the odometer reading as actual lifetime mileage.

DOCUMENTATION INCLUDED

The Jaguar is accompanied by an unusually substantial historical archive including:

British Auto/USA restoration estimates
British Auto/USA invoices
Progress billing records
Payment notations and records
Period correspondence between the restoration facility and owner
1992 correspondence discussing the replacement rear body section
Extensive period restoration photographs
Photographs documenting body reconstruction and refinishing
Mechanical and drivetrain restoration photographs
Reassembly photographs
2021 Bring a Trailer sale history
Indiana title documentation

The depth of this archive is one of the strongest attributes of the car.

WHY WE LOVE IT

An XK150 Drophead Coupe is already one of the more elegant expressions of Jaguar's postwar XK lineage. What separates this example is the history that comes with it.

Rather than simply being described as an older restoration, there is a substantial paper and photographic trail showing how the car was taken apart, reconstructed and returned to the road.

The correspondence concerning the English-sourced rear body section, period photographs of the body in various stages of reconstruction, detailed British Auto/USA invoices and years of records provide meaningful context that is increasingly difficult to find with restorations completed this long ago.

Its recent history is equally straightforward. T he current owner purchased the Jaguar on Bring a Trailer in 2021 with 33,602 miles shown and has added only approximately 214 miles since.

This is a documented, older restored XK150 that can be enjoyed as it sits while retaining a substantial historical file explaining how it became the car it is today.

SALE INCLUDES

1959 Jaguar XK150 Drophead Coupe
Extensive British Auto/USA restoration documentation
Period restoration photographs
Historical correspondence
Invoices and progress billing records
Available ownership documentation
Indiana title

CONTACT MOTORVAULT

For additional information, photographs, videos, financing assistance, trade evaluations, or to schedule a private viewing, please contact:

Brian Henry
Managing Partner | Sales & Client Relations
(317) 522-8260
sales@motorvault.com

Ralph Haga
Sales & Client Relations
(309) 721-9725
sales@motorvault.com

MOTORVAULT
520 W. McCarty Street
Indianapolis, Indiana 46225

www.motorvault.com

TERMS, DISCLOSURE & BUYER INFORMATION

At MOTORVAULT, transparency and accurate representation are our priorities. Vehicle descriptions are prepared using owner-supplied information, service records, vehicle history reports, manufacturer documentation, and our own inspection. While every effort is made to ensure accuracy, buyers are encouraged to independently verify any information they consider important.

As one of only two Bring a Trailer Local Area Partners (LAPs) in Indiana, MOTORVAULT applies the same attention to detail and documentation to every vehicle we represent, whether sold through Bring a Trailer, Cars & Bids, or directly through MOTORVAULT.

Unless otherwise stated, all vehicles are sold as-is, where-is, with no expressed or implied warranties. Mileage may vary slightly due to transport, detailing, photography, inspections, or test drives.

Independent pre-purchase inspections are welcomed, and we are happy to coordinate inspections with the buyer's preferred dealership or specialist. We also assist with financing, trade-ins, nationwide enclosed transportation, and international shipping.

Conveniently located just 20 minutes from Indianapolis International Airport (IND), MOTORVAULT welcomes buyers from across the country and can assist with airport transportation and enclosed vehicle delivery.

We appreciate the opportunity to earn your business and welcome any questions regarding this vehicle before purchase.