Steve McQueen Jaguar XKSS Tribute Visits Leno
Jay Leno doesn’t often have tributes or replicas at his shop, but this special Jaguar XKSS earned an appearance.
Today, the Jaguar XKSS Steve McQueen famously owned sits in the hallowed halls of the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles. It’s not for sale, but if it were to hit the block? It’s estimated that the King of Cool’s customized Jag would fetch around $30 million. Now originally, Coventry planned to build 25 examples of the XKSS, and use up the remaining D-Type parts which had been regulated out of competition. But a fire struck the factory, and only nine were completed.
McQueen scored one of those, and McQueen being McQueen, he had it customized by some of La La Land’s most celebrated hot rod shops. One story that I’ve always loved — and considered “too good to fact check” — is that when the movie star was bored, he’d take the XKSS out to turn donuts in the parking lot of the Beverly Hills Police Department, just so they’d chase him. While that story doesn’t come up in this episode of Jay Leno’s Garage, what comes through loud and clear is Leno’s enthusiasm for this jaw-dropping replica.
Built by his friend Dan Moody over a period of two years, it isn’t an exact mechanical replica of McQueen’s car. Most obviously, it’s left-hand, not right-hand drive, and also sports the screw-on side windows and luggage rack McQueen ditched. That said, it does have a Peter Nancy inspired interior and polished wheels, and closely resembles the version on display at the Petersen. It’s also, as Leno points out, about the size of a Mazda Miata, which given the infinite presence it projects in pictures, is tough to believe.
A few years back, Leno actually got to drive the McQueen car, so it’s big complement when he tells Moody he’d rather drive his tribute. For one thing, it’s got more power. While the original examples came with around 250 horsepower and 250 lb-ft of torque, this model boasts 350 horsepower and 400 lb-ft, which in something which weighs around 2,100 pounds, must be insane. Watch the video to learn all the details about this magnificent labor of love!
Photos: YouTube