Photo: Bonhams
Auctions should be the preferred hanging place for really rich guys, since they make the best occasions for picking up the sort of unique things you can’t find in stores anymore.
While not many classic cars can brag with the “unique” status - and those who do are usually in a museum or are only auctioned once in a lifetime - snatching one of the just 264 units ever produced of a certain model could be considered a steal. More so when nobody really knows how many of that already restricted number are still in running condition.
The thing is, these “steals” can sometimes go for a lot of money - much more even than the predictions of the auction house’s specialists. That’s precisely what happened with this 1960 Jaguar XK150 Drophead Coupé that sold for £427,100 ($640,500 or €590,500), even though its most optimistic estimate was half of that.
But that’s what happens with beautiful looking classic cars with original parts, not so many owners and a careful restoration process. And since this was a British sports car in a British auction for a British audience, the chances of a bid-fight grew exponentially, even though it was a left-hand-drive version.
The early XK150 Drophead Coupés had 3.4-liter engines, but this 1960 model came with an overdrive gearbox as standard and a 3.8-liter unit developing 220 hp. After it was built in January 1960, the XK150 was shipped directly to Jaguar’s main dealership in New York, from where its first owner bought it and took it to the sunny California.
From there, it went to the even sunnier Nevada, where its clock showing just 40,000 miles didn’t move until the XK150 was discovered in very good condition in 2009. Blame the humid Nevada air for that.
It was then taken back to UK where it went through an exhaustive restoration process that didn’t leave a patch of metal untouched or an engine screw unturned. After all, the Jaguar was now in the best place possible to receive the proper treatment a car so valuable deserves.
When this complex job was done with, the car entered and won several concours events just to emphasize the quality of the work put in.
Now, the Jaguar XK150 3.8-Litre Drophead Coupé has found its fourth owner and also set a new value record among cars its type.
The thing is, these “steals” can sometimes go for a lot of money - much more even than the predictions of the auction house’s specialists. That’s precisely what happened with this 1960 Jaguar XK150 Drophead Coupé that sold for £427,100 ($640,500 or €590,500), even though its most optimistic estimate was half of that.
But that’s what happens with beautiful looking classic cars with original parts, not so many owners and a careful restoration process. And since this was a British sports car in a British auction for a British audience, the chances of a bid-fight grew exponentially, even though it was a left-hand-drive version.
The early XK150 Drophead Coupés had 3.4-liter engines, but this 1960 model came with an overdrive gearbox as standard and a 3.8-liter unit developing 220 hp. After it was built in January 1960, the XK150 was shipped directly to Jaguar’s main dealership in New York, from where its first owner bought it and took it to the sunny California.
From there, it went to the even sunnier Nevada, where its clock showing just 40,000 miles didn’t move until the XK150 was discovered in very good condition in 2009. Blame the humid Nevada air for that.
It was then taken back to UK where it went through an exhaustive restoration process that didn’t leave a patch of metal untouched or an engine screw unturned. After all, the Jaguar was now in the best place possible to receive the proper treatment a car so valuable deserves.
When this complex job was done with, the car entered and won several concours events just to emphasize the quality of the work put in.
Now, the Jaguar XK150 3.8-Litre Drophead Coupé has found its fourth owner and also set a new value record among cars its type.
Google News