Introduced in 1957, the XK 150 presented a plethora of changes from lessons learned by Jaguar’s engineers who made the XK 120 and XK 140 models. Jaguar offered its new car as a fixed-head coupe and drophead coupe when production began, but the most desirable body style, the roadster, would not enter production until 1958. By the time the XK 150 hit showroom floors, it was clear that Jaguar had a fantastic automobile on its hands, one that was full of British charm and sophistication.

The darling of the XK 150 line was undoubtedly the 3.8 S Roadster. Powered by a 3.8-liter version of Jaguar’s dual-overhead camshaft straight-six, this engine put out a remarkable 265 hp, which powered the Roadster to a top speed of over 135 mph. Jaguar also fitted it with four-wheel disc brakes, a first for any production car, ensuring that any driver could quickly bring the most powerful iteration of the XK 150 to a stop. Equipped as such, these were undoubtedly fantastic cars to drive with the top down through the English countryside.

This extremely rare Jaguar 3.8 S roadster was built on 19 July 1960. A left-hand-drive example, it received a four-speed manual transmission with overdrive and was finished in Cornish Grey with red leather interior and a black soft top. The car was then sent to the Jaguar Distributor in Beirut, Lebanon. No early ownership records exist but the car was found in 1993 in Houston, Texas. In as-found condition, the car was then sold to Jaguar specialists Michael Grob of Berlin, Germany. This well-respected firm completed the no-expense-spared restoration in January 1995. Speaking to the quality of the restoration, the car still wears the same paint, interior, and top installed by Grob and shows a lovely patina which belies its sparing use. The car has covered just under 7,000 km since restoration and remains in excellent condition to this day.

Accompanying the car is a comprehensive history file that documents the exacting restoration with extensive photo documentation of the high-quality work which was completed. Also included is a Jaguar Operations, Maintenance, and Service Handbook and a copy of the Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust Certificate, which confirms the car’s original specifications. This XK 150 runs and drives like new and would be a great candidate for touring.