The XKSS Reimagined: When Jaguar’s Racing Spirit Meets the Open Road

The black paintwork catches the light like polished obsidian. Beneath it, hand-formed aluminium bodywork speaks of hours spent in the workshop, each panel shaped with the kind of devotion usually reserved for bespoke tailoring. This is not a car rolled off a production line; it is a conversation between past and present, between the racing circuits where Jaguars wrote motorsport history and the open road where such machines belong.

Built between 2015 and 2017 by Jim Tester, a specialist in Jaguar race-car restoration and engineering, this XKSS recreation draws its DNA from the D-Type's road-going evolution. The original D-Type had claimed three consecutive victories at Le Mans, establishing itself as one of motorsport's most formidable competitors. That pedigree, refined and reinterpreted for a car intended for the street rather than the circuit, shapes every aspect of what Tester created.

A Foundation Reimagined

The mechanical heart begins with an E-Type Series 1 chassis, a foundation that carries its own distinguished lineage. Atop it sits a 3.4-litre XK straight-six engine, fed by triple Weber carburettors, producing a character of sound and response that modern fuel injection cannot quite replicate. The engineering is purposeful: this is a machine built to be driven, not merely preserved.

That commitment to usability extends to the finishing. The red leather interior, deep and welcoming, speaks of an owner who understood that luxury and performance need not exist in separate spheres. The black exterior, striking against that warmth within, represents a deliberate aesthetic choice rather than default specification. Every detail suggests intention.

From Conception to Recommissioning

After its completion, the car entered dry storage, a period of quiet rest that many such creations experience whilst awaiting an owner who truly comprehends their significance. In 2024, Classic Performance Engineering undertook a recommissioning programme, returning the machine to a state where it could fulfil its purpose: to be driven, to be experienced, to deliver the particular pleasure that only an automobile of this calibre can provide.

Offered at The London Auction 2026 on 31 October, this XKSS recreation represents something increasingly rare in the automotive world: a car that honours heritage without slavishly copying it, that respects engineering excellence whilst refusing to become a museum piece. It is a machine for someone who understands that the greatest cars are those that bridge history and the present moment, demanding skill and attention from their driver, rewarding that engagement with an experience no other medium can offer.

For collectors who value the tangible over the digital, who understand that true luxury lies in the marriage of craftsmanship and authenticity, this car represents an opportunity to own not merely a vehicle but a statement of automotive philosophy. It speaks to a time when Jaguar was conquering the world's greatest races and when the road-going descendants of those competition cars represented the apex of accessible performance. That conversation between past and present, between the track and the street, continues to resonate.

Key Facts

• Engine: 3.4-litre XK straight-six with triple Weber carburettors
• Bodywork: Hand-formed aluminium
• Built: 2015 to 2017
• Builder: Jim Tester, Jaguar race-car specialist
• Chassis: Jaguar E-Type Series 1
• Auction: The London Auction 2026, 31 October

The Simply Luxury View

This XKSS recreation exemplifies the enduring appeal of bespoke automotive restoration and reinterpretation. Rather than a mere replica, it represents original engineering work informed by the D-Type's competition heritage, executed with the precision and hand-craftsmanship that modern production cannot match. For collectors, it offers access to a uniquely personal interpretation of Jaguar's golden era of racing dominance, executed to a standard rarely seen outside the most celebrated marques' heritage programmes.

The significance lies not in rarity of production but in rarity of intention: this is a car conceived and built by someone with genuine knowledge of Jaguar engineering and racing history, intended as a usable automobile rather than a static investment. That philosophy—combining historical authenticity with the practical joy of driving—reflects a particular kind of discernment increasingly sought by collectors who reject both pure restoration and purely modern alternatives.

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