If you are looking for a classic car that bears the mark of the fierce Jaguar, one car that truly qualifies is the
Jaguar XK150, a sports car
produced between 1957 and 1961. What makes this Jaguar a classic is that it was a radically modernized car, making it well ahead of its time. Some of its design features even exist on modern cars nowadays, a true sign of a classic, considering that it was first produced some 50 years ago. Jaguar is a well known maker of stylish and powerful cars, and the XK150 is proof of this car making standard. This article will walk you through some of the basic features of the Jaguar XK150, so you'll know why it was able to transcend time.
Design-wise, the XK150 was indeed ahead of its competitors. It is very modern for a 1950s or 60s car, with a one piece windscreen that replaced the old looking split screen. The wing line also no longer drooped much over the doors. The bonnet was also widened, and opened down to the wing.
The Jaguar XK150 is indeed a powerful beast on the highway. Under the hood, it is fitted with a 3.4 liter DOHC Jaguar straight-6 engine, which is rated at 180 horse power. Some models were even fitted with a modified cylinder head with lager exhaust valves, capable of producing 210 bhp at 5500 rpm. Another automotive engineering first that appeared in the
Jaguar XK150 is the four-wheel Dunlop 12-inch disc brakes, though it was also possible to order the same car fitted with drums. The suspension and chassis of the XK150 is similar to its predecessor, the
Jaguar XK140. Despite the success of the
XK150, production was halted in the latter part of 1960s, and overall, over 8000 vehicles were produced.
In terms of performance, a Jaguar XK150s fixed head coupe was tested in 1959. It was able to attain a top speed of 132 mph or 212 kmph and could accelerate for zero to 60 mph in just 7.8 seconds. This is truly a great power, considering that not a lot of cars at that time could attain these figures of the XK150. At the time of testing, it was the fastest closed car that was ever subjected to a full road test. In terms of fuel consumption, the XK150 was able to log in a mileage of 22.0 miles per imperial gallon, or in modern measurements, around 18.3 mpg. This is considerably fuel efficient, despite the power that it keeps under its hood.
Source: http://www.articlealley.com/article_2202205_31.html
