Two classic Jaguars have been exhumed from storage, both 1958 XK150 models. A fixed head coupé spent 40 years hidden in a barn, while a drop head version is a particularly early right-hand-drive model. They are being offered at Silverstone Auctions’ 12 April sale at the NEC, Birmingham. Each is estimated between £35-45,000.
The fixed head coupé spent four decades stored in a barn before being discovered in 2009. Researched showed that the car was originally delivered to garage owner and part-time racing driver Alan Eccles, who specified the XK with a rare close-ratio gearbox. Eccles moved to the United States in 1969, placing the car in a barn where it remained until being uncovered five years ago.
The second car, in drop head configuration, was the 74th right-hand-drive model built, out of a total of 622. The car was bought by an Italian collector in the 1980s before making its way to Sicily; it was found among other British sports cars by an enthusiast who brought it back to the UK with the intention of carrying out a full restoration. Changing priorities have forced the sale.
