1968 Jaguar XKSS Recreation

The XKSS was produced following the decision made by Jaguar to pull out of all motorsport at the end of 1955. Sir William Lyons converted their 16 remaining 'D-Types' to road-going specification for the American market by adding a passenger door, a full-width windscreen and wipers, an exhaust heat shield, side screens, a folding roof, bumpers all round, a luggage rack and rear light clusters. It was to become a complete icon of the era, an outstanding and good looking car driven by the privileged few, including movie stars of the day such as Steve McQueen. Values of the original cars range from £8-£10 million today if you can find one.A drivable, enjoyable, and a very cost-effective alternative is the wonderful Realm Engineering XKSS recreation offered here. Realm Engineering in Worcestershire is best known for their RAM Cobras and D and C-Type replicas. The RAM Cobra is the only Cobra recreation worldwide that has been given Carroll Shelby's personal seal of approval which tells you quite a lot about their design and engineering standards. The GRP body has integral subframes and all internal panels jig bonded into place, and the chassis is based on the original XKSS design but with substantial input from Reynard Engineering utilising modern techniques to produce more dynamic strength and consequently better handling.The engine and drivetrain came from a 1967, 420 Jaguar and we believe that they were rebuilt at the time of the cars build which commenced in the early nineties and spanned nine years until its completion around the year 2000. During this time many period parts were sourced from autojumbles and Jaguar specialists to try and get as authentic a feel as possible. The odometer was zeroed when it was completed and now indicates 11,280 miles corroborated by a selection of MOTs showing its mileage back through the years.The attention to detail, we have to say, is second to none and the interior is pure fifties' Jaguar racer with the added bonus of some nicely worn switch gear. This functionality continues under the bonnet and there is nothing there that shouts 'replica'. The car sits well on its Realm Engineering, period correct, Dunlop knock-offs. The Old English White paintwork retains a good shine, the shut lines are good, and overall the car presents really well.Comparatively light, and with its 4.2 Litre Jaguar engine and Reynard tweaked chassis, this is undoubtedly a quick and competent motor car, however, and more importantly, it looks like a serious amount of fun.