Description
This car is Lot 119 to be auctioned by Bonhams|Cars at Les Grandes Marques du Monde à Paris Sale on 6 February, please see the Bonhams website for full details.
Public Viewing:
Available Tuesday 4 February from 08:00 until 18:00 and Wednesday 5 February from 9 AM - 6 PM, at The Grand Palais Historique, Paris.
Lot 119
A full aluminium replica of the famous 'Green Rat'
1988 Jaguar Lynx XKSS 4. 2-Litre
Registration no.
Chassis no. E50376
Lynx Conversion no. L89-44
Extensive history file
Same owner for 22 years
Registered in France as a Lynx XKSS Replica
4. 2-Litre six cylinder engine, producing 305 bhp
"The factory fire in February 1957 extinguished the career of the XKSS, a road-going sports car based on the D-Type. As a result of the hiatus in production, and dislocations of plans for new product lines as important as the 3. 4 saloon, the XKSS was abandoned. It was a cruel fate for a car that was a true thoroughbred, made in the image of the Le Mans winner, and one of the classic might-have-beens of motoring history." - Eric Dymock, The Jaguar File.
One of the rarest Jaguars of all, the XKSS was a spin-off from the D-Type racing programme. To satisfy the FIA's sports car regulations, the D-Type had been built in numbers greatly exceeding the demand for such a specialised piece of racing equipment, and conversion to road trim was viewed as the best way of clearing unsold stocks, hence the XKSS. The idea of a road-equipped D-Type is credited to Jaguar works driver Duncan Hamilton, who fitted a windscreen and hood to his ex-factory 1954 Le Mans car ('OKV 1') in 1956. Modifications to make the D-Type acceptable for road use included installing a seat and door on the passenger side; removing the division between driver and passenger; fitting a full-width wraparound windscreen; and heat-shielding the side-exit exhaust system. A mohair hood and detachable side screens provided weather protection, and, as twin fuel tanks and the spare wheel occupied the boot space, a luggage rack was provided on the tail. The 3. 4-litre XK engine remained pretty much to racing specification, producing around 250bhp, which, in a car weighing just 18cwt (914kg), made for electrifying performance. Production commenced during the winter of 1956, but the loss of a number of bodyshells in the fire at the Brown's Lane works in February 1957 severely curtailed the XKSS programme, with the result that only 16 had been made when production ceased in November of that year.
Testing an XKSS in 1957, the esteemed American motoring journal Road & Track recorded figures of 5. 2 seconds and 13. 6 seconds for the 0-60mph and 0-100mph times respectively, which are none too shabby even by today's standards. With an estimated top speed in excess of 150mph, the XKSS remained the fastest catalogued Jaguar sports car for many years. Like many other legendary sports cars, the Jaguar XKSS inspired a number of imitations. An acknowledged master in this highly specialised field is the Sussex-based firm, Lynx Engineering, which enjoys an international reputation for accuracy and quality second to none.
This XKSS started life as a 1966 Jaguar E-Type Coupé 2+2. Between 1986 and 1987, it was brought to Lynx Motors International Limited, where it was converted at the request of Michael Palin, as stated in a letter of 14 March 1987, which reads "We are glad to hear that you are pleased with your new Lynx XKSS". Resold as a "Short Nose" D-Type in the early 90s to Chris Lunn, it was regularly driven at Goodwood under the supervision of Lynx, who continued to maintain it. Various invoices from this period survive. In 1999, the D-Type was acquired by Kevin Wilson, who regularly had it serviced at CKL Developments in the name of Chris Keith-Lucas, the founder of Lynx. E50376 again raced several times at Goodwood, until it was purchased by its current owner, in 2002. Over the years, the Jaguar continued to be maintained and improved by CKL Developments. In 2004, the engine was fully serviced and somewhat optimised by CKL Developments, and a test bench report attests to its performance: 305bhp for 4, 276RPM, 536 newton metres at 3, 770RPM.
It was between 2011 and 2012 that E50376 was entrusted to CKL Developments to be converted into an XKSS, including having, as per CKL's invoice, the original bumpers from Steve McQueen's XKSS fitted, all for around £40, 000. In 2019, the car was duly registered in France as a Lynx XKSS Replica dated 1988, meaning it can legally be driven on the road.
After 22 years and around 50, 000km together, the owner of this XKSS would now like to pass the baton, no longer being able to use it as regularly. Sold with its French registration document (carte grise), spare wheel, hood, tonneau cover and an extensive history file going back almost 40 years, this is a remarkable opportunity to acquire one of the rarest, finest and highest performing automobiles of the 1950s, for a price well below that of the original.
All lots are sold 'as is/ where is' and Bidders must satisfy themselves as to the provenance, condition, age, completeness and originality prior to bidding. Visit the Bonhams|Cars website for all pertinent auction information.
