THE CARS OF MCQUEEN [PART 3] // 1957 JAGUAR XK-SS

For part three of ‘The Cars of McQueen,’ we decided to have a look at Steve McQueen’s 1957 Jaguar XK-SS. Based on Jaguars D-Type, the XK-SS featured a 3.4-liter DOHC straight six, which was fed by a trio of Weber carbureators and produced 250bhp at 6,000 RPM... [read more]

Here is a look at the XK-SS engine bay with the triple Weber setup.

The body of McQueen’s XK-SS was an all aluminum monocoque, which featured an aerodynamically shaped underbody to reduce drag. Unlike the D-Types made famous at Le Mans, McQueens XK-SS did not come equipped with an asymmetrical fin behind the drivers seat.

McQueen's Jaguar XK-SS (D-Type chassis number 569) was originally purchased by building contractor James Peterson, who lived in Altadena, California. It was then sold to Bill Leyden, who often parked the Jaguar at his studio on Sunset Boulevard, where McQueen first saw the car. McQueen purchased the car from Leyden in 1958 for $5,000 and it would stay in his possession until 1967 when he sold it to car collector William F. Harrah.

However after a decade without the car, McQueen began a two-year negotiation with Harrah hoping to acquire the Jaguar once again. The deal worked in McQueen's favor and he would maintain possession of the XK-SS until his death in 1980.

In 1984 the XK-SS was sold at McQueen's estate auction to friend and former neighbor, Richard Freshman, for a reported $148,000. It was then sold to its current owner, the late Robert E. Petersen and his wife Margie in 2000.

One of the more impressive cars in McQueen's collection, the Jaguar XK-SS seems to fit quite well with the 'Bullitt' Mustang and 1963 Ferrari 250 GT Lusso we featured earlier this week. Be sure and stay tuned for part four!