The Remarkable 1957 Jaguar XK150 S Bertone
The Jaguar XK150 was first launched in 1957 and was the third model in the iconic XK lineage, succeeding the XK120 and XK140. It featured all-new styling that still looked like an XK while featuring a far more contemporary late-1950s design. Produced through to 1961, the car was a real world-beater, being both affordable and competitive on road and track. It originally came as a fixed-head coupé, a drophead coupé and a roadster, but in a few rare cases it got bespoke coachwork from famous design houses. Only eight XK150 chassis were believed to have received this treatment, which is just one factor that makes this Bertone so special.
This Jaguar, S 834365, photographed at Concours of Elegance 2020, is just one of three XK150s that were sent as bare chassis to Bertone in Turin, to be bodied as prototype fixed-head coupés. Each had slightly different styling by Franco Scaglione, who was responsible for arguably some of the most striking cars of the 20th century, from the Alfa Romeo B.A.T. cars to the Lamborghini 350GTV prototype and the Alfa Romeo Tipo 33 Stradale.
The sole right-hand-drive example was ordered by – and its final design overseen by – the legendary John Coombs, who later related that when he received it in England, the factory kept it for a few weeks to assess it. The Bertones were reportedly built as prototypes for a possible XK150 replacement – a couple of years before the E-type would fill that space. Interestingly, the cars all had a delicate ‘XKE’ badge on their rear flanks.
This XK150 Bertone is car no.2, and its chassis was made on August 15, 1957 and dispatched to Italy the following month. It’s the only example known to still exist, with the other two cars having apparently been unseen for decades. It was purchased new by Tommaso Ingenoli, a friend and customer of Enzo Ferrari, in 1958. A proud, provenance-filled history since then includes a period residing in California’s Blackhawk Collection. During that time it was restored and shown at Pebble Beach in 1992.
The current owner has since commissioned a nut-and-bolt renovation. Now finished in stunning Jet Black over Saddle Tan, the car is a jewel to behold, beautifully restored to the glowing condition such a rare beast deserves. Despite its dependable English underpinnings, the car screams Italian sporting design and reflects this with its subtle tailfins and elegant lines, giving off a feel more of the mid-1960s than the late 1950s. Paired with the iconic 3.8 S engine, this car also has the performance to boot, and would easily rival any Aston Martin, Ferrari or Maserati from the period with a unique design all of its own.
ENGINE
3.8-litre, straight-six, DOHC, 220bhp, twin carburettors
CONFIGURATION
Front engine, four-speed gearbox, rear-wheel drive, separate ladder chassis, torsion-bar and wishbone front suspension, leaf-spring live axle rear, disc brakes all round
