Introduced in mid-1957 as Jaguar’s response to the growing U.S. demand for more comfortable and refined sports cars, the XK 150 was the final iteration of Jaguar’s XK-series. It featured higher front fenders, a wider grille, a curved one-piece windshield and, perhaps most significant, Dunlop disc brakes at all four wheels. Jaguar was justifiably proud, as it became the first manufacturer to offer four-wheel disc brakes on a series-production car.

Initially offered in fixed head and drophead coupé versions, a Roadster arrived in March 1958. The XK 150 proved to be the most popular XK of all, with nearly 9,400 built until 1961, of which roughly 75 percent were exported. Amongst the rarest variants are the 36 left-hand-drive 3.8 Roadster models, of which just 36 left-hand-drive cars were built.

A very late-production example, the second-to-last XK 150 3.8 Roadster known to survive and the fourth-to-last XK 150 Roadster completed, is without question the ultimate expression of performance of Jaguar’s renowned XK-series, as it incorporated virtually every development and improvement that had been discovered in over a decade of production. Most important is the added horsepower and performance of the venerable Jaguar 3.8-liter straight-six, along with Special Equipment and optional ($165.00) Laycock de Normanville overdrive, which makes for comfortable highway cruising.

Completed in November 1960, this car spent much of its life in the Southwestern U.S., with one former owner, Alan Cruce, a Texas-based Air Force veteran, retaining the car for more than 23 years. Lured by the sound of the 3.8-litre engine, he enjoyed this car for only a short time before departing to undertake pilot training, from which point this XK 150 was rarely used. After years of dormancy, the car was purchased by its current owner and shipped back across the pond, where it was completely restored to the excellent standard in which it is currently presented.

This is a very rare opportunity to acquire a lovely XK 150 3.8 Roadster, with a matching-numbers engine and with Special Equipment and factory overdrive. With just 36 cars built in this configuration, it is an excellent example of one of the rarest variants of the Jaguar XK line and holds a special place in Jaguar history.