A stunning 1957 Jaguar XKSS has fetched $13,205,000 at an RM Sotheby’s auction over the weekend, a staggering sum for what is an incredible car.
Jaguar originally built 25 examples of the XKSS but a fire at its factory destroyed 9 of them, leaving behind just 16. This particular XKSS, known as number 707, was delivered new to a customer in the United States to a sports car dealer in California, who then sold it to Sidney Colberg of San Francisco.
Colberg owned the car through to 1973 and drove it on various racetracks along the west coast of the U.S. The car was then sold to Anthony Bamford in the UK where it sat in a collection that also included multiple Ferrari 250 GTOs. It was then sold again in 1975 where it was repainted and reupholstered before being sold in 1976 to an enthusiast in Scotland.
While under the ownership of Campbell McLaren, the car had new body panels fitted and was transformed from black to the current shade of blue. It went on to compete at Le Mans Classic in June 1978 and in 1992, was sold yet again. It remained under the ownership of Allen Lloyd for 19 years and during this time was driven at the 2004 Mille Miglia and displayed at the Jaguar Heritage Museum.
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In more recent years, the car’s cylinder head has been removed and cleaned, the carburetors rebuilt, the brakes reconditioned, new wiring looms fitted, and it has received repairs to the paint and upholstery. RM Sotheby’s notes that the car had 25,535 miles (41,094 km) on the odometer at the time of the auction. While no details have been provided about who purchased the car, there’s a good chance it will join an expansive collection of other classics.
