Aussie Link to Rare Jaguar XK SS Being Sold by Sothebys

Cliff Chambers
18 October 2024

News

British

Jaguar XK SS Roadster

Auction house RM Sothebys has announced that it shortly will offer for sale one of the most significant and valuable Jaguars in existence.

The Jaguar XK SS roadster (XKD540) is one of just 18 built using left-over D-Type chassis. It was completed in 1957, shortly before an infamous fire at Jaguar’s Browns Lane factory brought production to a premature end.

The engine was originally a 3.4 litre D-Type unit with triple carburettors, but the car was returned to Jaguar in 1960 for installation of a 3.8-litre block. During this process, the car’s original cylinder head and induction were retained.

XKD540 is one of two D-Type chassis retained by the factory and only partially converted to XK SS specification. In 1958, a short time after being sold, the car was returned by its private owner for conversion to full XK SS specification.

This involved fitting the passenger side door, full height windscreen, weather equipment and a luggage rack. While in Britain it saw limited competition use before being sold in 1962 to a buyer in Australia.

Owners here included the late Laurie O’Neill, who raced the car and was later instrumental in establishing the motor sport complex at Eastern Creek in western Sydney.

O’Neill used the SS regularly and there are tales of it being sighted in Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs, running at speed with the Le Mans D Type OKV1 owned by eccentric enthusiast John ‘Jumbo’ Goddard.

After being sold in 1965 to another Australian, Colin Hyams, the XK SS was returned to Britain in 1972. While in the keeping of a prominent UK Jaguar collector, it was the subject of a complete and exacting restoration.

The car stayed in Britain until 1985, after which it was rehomed to Germany and remained with a succession of European owners until 2017. During this period, it occasionally appeared at historic motor sport events.

RM Sothebys will offer the car during its next London sale which runs from 1-2 November. It is expected to sell within a Guiding Range of £9-11 (AU$17.5M to $21.3M), with an additional 12.5 percent (£1.1-1.4 million) in Buyers Premium.

The auctioneers state that this is the only XK SS ever to be offered for sale in Europe. Its price is expected to eclipse the US$13.2 million realised in August 2023 – also at an RM Sothebys sale – for a US-delivered car.

Cliff Chambers

Writer & Head Valuer

At age 14, surrounded by stacks of motoring magazines from the local junk shop, Cliff Chambers was warned by a concerned mother that he would ‘Never get anywhere knowing a lot about old cars.’ Seventeen years later when his definitive book, Making Money From Collectable Cars was published, she was proud to be proven wrong.

That was in 1987, but Cliff’s life was already revolving around all things automotive. From working part time in a panel shop while at university, he moved to motor industry consultancy roles and managing a Championship winning rally team.

During the 1990s he joined the classic vehicle insurance industry, at the same time becoming a prolific writer for magazines and motoring websites. Then came his ongoing contribution as one of the country’s leading vehicle valuers.

Away from work, automotive events and objects remain prominent in Cliff’s world. He has owned more than 40 cars now considered ‘classic’ and within his collection of motor-related items there remain some of those magazines acquired as a fact hungry teen.

Cliff brings to Retro Rides a blend of unique industry skills and a love of vehicles that will become more obvious with every contribution he makes to the site.