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REBIRTH OF COOL

Jaguar unveils the £1million XKSS – an exact replica of the iconic 1950s motor owned by Steve McQueen

Car maker resurrects 'lost' racer 59 years after fire halted production

JAGUAR has unveiled its latest supercar - the £1million XKSS which is an exact replica of the iconic 1950s motor made famous by Hollywood legend Steve McQueen

The XKSS was the road-going version of the D-Type racer, which won Le Mans three years running in the 1950s.

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The new XKSS, which has a £1million price tag, is an exact replica of the 1950s original
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The original XKSS was the road-going version of a racer that won Le Mans three timesCredit: SWNS:South West News Service
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Steve McQueen was one of the select 16 people to own an original XKSS before fire tore through the factoryCredit: Getty Images

Star McQueen famously owned an XKSS but just 16 of the planned 25 were ever built with production halted after a fire ripped through Jaguar's Browns Lane Factory in 1957.

Now, 59 years later, the 'lost' nine XKSS models have been built - with the reborn sports car costing more than £1 MILLION.

And despite the eye-watering price-tag, all of the cars have been sold.

It is still considerably cheaper than an original XKSS, which will set you back over £10 million these days.

The D-Type which won Le Mans in 1956 sold for £16.5 million in the summer.

Staff at Jaguar Land Rover Classic spent 10,000 hours building each car.

Kev Riches, Jaguar Classic Engineering manager, said: "The XKSS is one of the most important cars in Jaguar's history, and we are committed to making the 'new original' version absolutely faithful to the period car in every way.

"From the number, type and position of all the rivets used - there are more than 2,000 in total - to the Smiths gauges on the dashboard, everything is the same as the original cars, because that is the way it should be."

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The new XKSS (top) was built after Jaguar staffed scanned several versions of the 1957 XKSS (bottom)Credit: SWNS:South West News Service
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Under the bonnet, the XKSS is fitted with a 262hp 3.4-litre straight six-cylinder Jaguar D-type engineCredit: SWNS:South West News Service
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Staff at Jaguar Land Rover Classic spent 10,000 hours building each carCredit: SWNS:South West News Service
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Everything from the wood of the steering wheel, to the grain of the leather seats, through to the brass knobs on the XKSS dashboard, is precisely as it would have been in 1957Credit: SWNS:South West News Service

The Jaguar Classic engineering team scanned several versions of the 1957 XKSS to help build a complete digital image of the car, from the body to chassis, and including all parts required.

Under the bonnet, the XKSS is fitted with a 262hp 3.4-litre straight six-cylinder Jaguar D-type engine. This should give it a top speed of around 150mph.

Inside, the 'new original' XKSS features perfect recreations of the original Smiths gauges.

Everything from the wood of the steering wheel, to the grain of the leather seats, through to the brass knobs on the XKSS dashboard, is precisely as it would have been in 1957.

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Inside, the ‘new original’ XKSS features perfect recreations of the original Smiths gaugesCredit: SWNS:South West News Service
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Minor specification changes have been made only to improve driver and passenger safetyCredit: SWNS:South West News Service
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The new XKSS has a top speed of around 150 miles per hourCredit: SWNS:South West News Service
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All of the new models have already been snapped up despite their million pound price tagCredit: SWNS:South West News Service

Minor specification changes have been made only to improve driver and passenger safety. The fuel cell uses robust, modern materials to support throughput of modern fuels.

Tim Hannig, director of Jaguar Land Rover Classic, said: "The XKSS continuation programme underlines the world-class expertise we have at Jaguar Land Rover Classic.

"We are committed to nurturing the passion and enthusiasm for Jaguar's illustrious past by offering exceptional cars, services, parts and experiences."


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