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The Real Driving Machine: Steve McQueen’s 1957 Jaguar XKSS Reimagined for 2026
John Kiewicz – Photographer
Matt Stone – Writer
Mar 25, 2026
Steve McQueen. The name alone evokes a specific blend of raw masculinity, understated charisma, and an almost reckless passion for life. Known as the “King of Cool,” McQueen wasn’t just a movie star; he was a cultural force who defined the anti-hero archetype for generations. His filmography reads like a highlight reel of 20th-century cinema—iconic roles in The Great Escape, Bullitt, Le Mans, and The Thomas Crown Affair—but what truly set McQueen apart was his authentic, hands-on relationship with the machines that powered his legend. Unlike many celebrities who merely endorsed products, McQueen was a genuine gearhead, a man who found as much satisfaction in wrenching on an engine as he did in accepting an Academy Award nomination.
Even today, decades after his untimely passing at the age of 50 in 1980, McQueen’s aura remains potent. His complex personality—a volatile mix of vulnerability and swagger, idealism and cynicism—continues to fascinate biographers and fans alike. He was a dyslexic kid who bounced between foster homes, a troubled youth who channeled his intensity into acting, and ultimately, a cinematic icon who embodied a specific brand of American masculinity that has rarely been replicated. His contemporaries—Newman, Brando, Garner—may have shared the silver screen with him, but McQueen possessed a unique, smoldering intensity that made him stand out. As biographer Penina Spiegel noted, quoting Faye Dunaway, “He’s the misunderstood bad boy you’re sure you can cure with a little warmth and some home cooking.”
But beyond the tortured artist persona lay a man utterly consumed by speed, mechanics, and the pursuit of the next adrenaline rush. Cars and motorcycles weren’t just props in McQueen’s films; they were extensions of his soul. From the iconic motorcycle chase in The Great Escape to the gritty realism of Le Mans, McQueen insisted on doing his own stunts, pushing the vehicles—and himself—to the absolute limit. This wasn’t Hollywood fakery; it was a genuine passion that permeated every aspect of his life.
The pinnacle of this automotive obsession was, arguably, his 1957 Jaguar XKSS. More than just a collector’s item, this particular car—chassis number XK.SS.713—was a living piece of history, a tangible link to McQueen’s most iconic years. It was a car he drove hard, modified with his own hands, and cherished until his death. To understand McQueen, you must understand the XKSS.
The Jaguar D-Type: A Racing Pedigree
To appreciate the significance of the XKSS, we must first delve into the world of its progenitor: the Jaguar D-Type. In the mid-1950s, Jaguar was not merely a manufacturer of luxury cars; it was a dominant force in international motorsport. The company, under the visionary leadership of Sir William Lyons, had established itself as a formidable competitor to the likes of Ferrari and Aston Martin. Jaguar’s success at the 24 Hours of Le Mans was legendary, with the company securing five outright victories in that grueling endurance race during the 1950s. These victories weren’t just marketing coups; they were testaments to the engineering prowess of Jaguar’s XK engine and the aerodynamic genius of designer Malcolm Sayer.
The D-Type, introduced in 1954, represented the zenith of Jaguar’s front-engine sports racing car design. It was a purpose-built machine, conceived for one objective: to win races. Unlike many of its contemporaries that evolved from road cars, the D-Type was a dedicated racer from the ground up. Its most striking feature was its revolutionary chassis construction. Moving away from traditional body-on-frame designs, Jaguar employed a monocoque tub for the passenger cell, derived from aircraft construction techniques. This structural innovation provided exceptional rigidity and torsional stiffness—critical attributes for high-speed stability—while keeping weight to a minimum.
Powering the D-Type was Jaguar’s legendary XK engine, a 3.4-liter dual-overhead-camshaft inline-six that had already proven its mettle in previous racing endeavors. In its D-Type configuration, the engine was optimized for performance, typically featuring dry-sump lubrication, triple Weber downdraft carburetors, and a compression ratio of around 9.5:1. These modifications pushed output to approximately 250 horsepower in early models, with later iterations reaching closer to 300 horsepower. This power was mated to Jaguar’s robust four-speed manual transmission, featuring an innovative synchromesh system that allowed for relatively quick gear changes even under racing loads.
Aerodynamically, the D-Type was a masterpiece of form following function. Malcolm Sayer, a former aerodynamics engineer from the Bristol Aeroplane Company, sculpted the bodywork with an obsessive attention to detail. The result was a fluid, organic shape that seemed to melt over the mechanical components beneath. The car’s most distinctive visual feature was the tall, dorsal fin that extended from the headrest fairing to the rear deck. This fin was not merely stylistic; it was a critical aerodynamic element designed to enhance straight-line stability at the speeds the car was capable of achieving—speeds that could exceed 170 mph on the Mulsanne Straight at Le Mans.
The D-Type’s design philosophy was a perfect marriage of British engineering pragmatism and aesthetic elegance. It was a car that looked fast even when standing still, its voluptuous curves and purposeful stance conveying a sense of coiled energy. The cockpit, though spartan by modern standards, was a driver-focused environment. A large, wood-rimmed steering wheel sat directly in front of the driver, with the primary instruments—a massive tachometer and a speedometer—mounted prominently on the dashboard. The seating position was low and reclined, placing the driver firmly in the center of the machine.
Over its production life, from 1954 to 1957, Jaguar produced approximately 67 D-Types, including both factory team cars and customer variants. These machines competed fiercely in races across Europe and North America, racking up victories in prestigious events like the 12 Hours of Sebring, the Mille Miglia, and of course, Le Mans. The D-Type’s success cemented Jaguar’s reputation as a builder of world-class racing cars and established a lineage that would influence automotive design for decades to come.
The Birth of the XKSS: From Racetrack to Road
By the late 1950s, the D-Type’s competitive reign was drawing to a close. Stricter racing regulations, particularly the introduction of a 3.0-liter engine capacity limit for the 1958 season, rendered the 3.4-liter D-Type less dominant. Furthermore, Jaguar itself began to shift its focus toward its next legendary creation, the E-Type, which debuted to universal acclaim in 1961. As a result, Jaguar found itself with a surplus of completed D-Type chassis and bodies—approximately 25 cars that had been built for customer sale but now lacked a competitive racing purpose.
Rather than scrapping these valuable assets, Sir William Lyons and his team conceived an ingenious solution: convert the race cars into road-legal sports cars. This wasn’t a mere cosmetic exercise; it was a fundamental transformation of a pure racing machine into a usable road car. The project was christened the XKSS, a designation that clearly signaled its D-Type origins while hinting at its new street-legal status.
The conversion process was a meticulous undertaking that required significant modifications to meet the stringent requirements of road registration in markets like the United States. The most obvious and impactful change was the addition of a full-width windshield. The D-Type’s minimalist aero screens were replaced with a large, wraparound glass windscreen that provided essential protection from the elements. This transformation dramatically altered the car’s silhouette, giving it a more substantial and road-worthy appearance.
To further enhance its usability, Jaguar engineers addressed the car’s cargo-carrying capacity. The distinctive dorsal fin, so crucial for high-speed stability on the racetrack, was removed and replaced with a practical luggage rack mounted on the rear deck. While still modest by touring car standards, this addition allowed owners to carry essentials for longer journeys, transforming the XKSS from a weekend racer into a bona fide Grand Tourer.
The cockpit also underwent a transformation to accommodate road use. The D-Type’s single, deeply scalloped racing seat was replaced with a more comfortable two-seat configuration, upholstered in high-quality leather. Side curtains, essentially fixed panes of glass fitted into the door openings, were added to provide further weather protection. The braking system, already state-of-the-art for the era with Dunlop disc brakes all around, was retained, though the exhaust system required modification to comply with noise regulations. A more conventional exhaust routing was devised, incorporating heat shields to protect occupants from the hot side-exit pipes—a necessary compromise that nonetheless preserved the car’s potent soundtrack.
The conversion process was not without its challenges. Integrating these road-going features onto the D-Type’s lightweight, race-bred chassis required careful engineering to maintain the car’s inherent balance and handling characteristics. Yet, the result was nothing short of remarkable. Jaguar managed to retain the essence of the D-Type’s thrilling performance while imbuing it with the civility required for road use.
In total, Jaguar converted 16 D-Types into XKSS specification between
