Ultra-Rare 1957 Jaguar XKSS Poised To Fetch $14 Million

A stunning example of the hallowed 1957 Jaguar XKSS, considered one of the most beautiful cars ever made, will be auctioned by RM Sotheby's at its2023 Monterey Car Week Auctionon August 19. Possibly one of the rarest cars to grace the auction, RM Sotheby's describes the car as "one of the absolute most original and best-preserved of the fabled XKSS examples."

But what makes the XKSS so special? Well, at the end of the 1956 racing season, Jaguar withdrew from racing, retaining a number of unsold D-Type race cars. The remaining models were converted to roadgoing specification to be sold in the US, with a planned production run of 25 cars cut short by a fire that destroyed nine cars. The 1-of-16 XKSS you see here, then, is not only rare but is one of the earliest examples of a realrace car for the road. That's why it is expected to fetch $12,000,000-14,000,000 - roughly equivalent to buying 116 modernJaguar F-Type Rcoupes.

Chassis XKSS 707, known by its license plate Jag 1, was converted from chassis XKD 564. Originally painted cream over red leather, the car was purchased by racing driver Lour Brero Sr. However, in a cruel twist, he never took delivery of the car, as he died in a racing accident prior to its delivery. Instead, it was purchased by sports car dealer Sammy Weiss who sold it on to Sidney Colberg in 1960. The car's full ownership history has been tracked, and it went through several color changes over the years before being presented as it is now in its metallic blue hue.

It has 25,535 miles on the clock, all of which are believed to be genuine, and it retains its original serial number plate, chassis stamping, and original gearbox, although the center casing has been replaced - a common trait among surviving XKSS examples. Two of the three carburetors are even original, as are the brake calipers at each corner. In short, XKSS 707 is pristine and may well find a home alongside other examples in thecar collection of Ralph Lauren.