đź”» WATCH FULL VIDEO BELOWđź”»
Title: Reviving the Legend: Driving Steve McQueen’s 1957 Jaguar XKSS in 2026
The rumble of the engine, the scent of aged leather, and the ghosts of Hollywood’s Golden Age – that’s what awaits when you step into Steve McQueen’s 1957 Jaguar XKSS. More than just a car, this machine is a time capsule, a piece of automotive history that carries the very essence of the King of Cool. In 2026, as we celebrate the enduring legacy of McQueen and the golden era of motorsports, the XKSS remains a coveted jewel, a symbol of speed, style, and rebellion.
For those of us who grew up idolizing the rebels of the silver screen, Steve McQueen was the ultimate anti-hero. With his smoldering gaze, effortless charisma, and a thirst for speed that matched his on-screen intensity, he captivated audiences worldwide. From the high-octane thrills of Bullitt to the raw emotion of Le Mans, McQueen didn’t just play characters; he embodied them, infusing every role with his own rugged authenticity. And behind the scenes, his passion for all things mechanical burned just as brightly. His garage was a temple to speed, filled with a curated collection of the world’s most exotic and powerful machines. But among them, one stood out – the 1957 Jaguar XKSS.
This isn’t just any vintage car; it’s a legend in its own right. The XKSS represents a pivotal moment in automotive history, a rare blend of race-proven engineering and street-legal luxury. Born from the ashes of Jaguar’s dominant D-Type racers, the XKSS was a limited-production masterpiece, a car that bridged the gap between the racetrack and the open road. Only 16 examples were ever built, making it one of the most exclusive and sought-after Jaguars in existence. And now, in 2026, we have the privilege of experiencing this automotive icon firsthand, tracing its journey from the factory floor to the legendary Mulholland Drive, and beyond.
The Legend of the King of Cool
To understand the significance of the XKSS, one must first understand the man who drove it. Steve McQueen, born Terrence Steven McQueen, was a force of nature. A product of a troubled childhood, marked by foster homes and a rebellious spirit, he found his calling on the stage and eventually on the silver screen. His raw talent and undeniable screen presence quickly propelled him to superstardom, but it was his off-screen persona that truly cemented his legend.
McQueen was a man of contradictions. He possessed a quiet intensity that could be both magnetic and intimidating. He was fiercely independent, yet deeply craved connection. He was a loner who commanded the spotlight, a sensitive soul who projected an image of rugged masculinity. This complex duality, this “bad boy with a heart of gold” mystique, became his trademark.
But beyond the Hollywood glamour, McQueen was, at his core, a gearhead. His love affair with automobiles and motorcycles was not a superficial one; it was a deep-seated passion that defined his life. He wasn’t content to simply admire these machines from afar; he wanted to understand them, to push them to their limits, and to race them with the same ferocity he brought to his acting.
His filmography is a testament to this obsession. In The Great Escape, he bonded with a motorcycle, creating one of the most iconic scenes in cinema history. In The Thomas Crown Affair, he tore through the streets of Boston in a Dune Buggy, a custom-built marvel of automotive engineering. And in Le Mans, he poured his heart and soul into a film that captured the raw, visceral thrill of endurance racing, a sport he deeply respected and participated in.
It was during this period, the late 1950s and early 1960s, that McQueen’s automotive obsession reached its zenith. Living in the Hollywood Hills, he became a fixture on the local car culture scene, frequenting underground garages and late-night hangouts where enthusiasts gathered to share their passion for speed and performance. It was during this time that he first encountered the legendary Jaguar XKSS.
A Racing Pedigree: The Evolution of the XKSS
The story of the XKSS begins on the legendary Circuit de la Sarthe, the home of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. In the 1950s, Jaguar was a dominant force in international motorsport, its sleek, powerful D-Type racers setting new standards for speed and endurance. These machines, with their aerodynamic bodies and potent XK engines, were the epitome of 1950s racing technology.
However, by the late 1950s, the D-Type was reaching the end of its competitive life. Racing regulations were changing, and newer, more advanced designs from Ferrari and Aston Martin were beginning to overshadow Jaguar’s efforts. Jaguar found itself with a surplus of D-Type chassis and engines, and no immediate racing application for them.
Rather than let these magnificent machines gather dust, Jaguar’s visionary founder, Sir William Lyons, came up with a brilliant solution. He decided to convert the remaining D-Type chassis into road-legal sports cars, creating a limited-production model that would offer a taste of racing performance with the civility required for street use. Thus, the Jaguar XKSS was born.
The conversion process was meticulous. The D-Type’s formidable racing body, characterized by its distinctive dorsal fin and open cockpit, was modified for road use. A full-width windscreen was added to protect the driver from the elements, and side curtains were fitted to the doors for added weather protection. The race-spec interior, stripped down to the bare essentials, was outfitted with upholstered seats, a passenger-side door, and a rudimentary luggage rack.
Under the hood, the XKSS retained the legendary XK engine, a 3.4-liter inline-six that was a marvel of engineering for its time. With its dual overhead camshafts and robust construction, it produced around 250 horsepower, a staggering figure for a road car in 1957. This power was channeled through a four-speed manual transmission, sending the car rocketing from 0 to 60 mph in a blistering 5.5 seconds.
The result was a car that was unlike anything else on the road. It possessed the soul of a race car, the speed and handling that could challenge the best European sports cars, but with the added comfort and practicality of a road car. It was a Jekyll and Hyde of the automotive world, capable of dominating the racetrack one day and cruising through the Hollywood Hills the next.
The Green Rat: McQueen’s Iconic XKSS
When Steve McQueen discovered the XKSS, he knew he had found something special. The car, chassis number XK.SS.713, was originally destined for a U.S. distributor but found its way into the hands of a local building contractor, James Peterson, who was involved in the construction of Riverside International Raceway. Peterson, a keen motorsport enthusiast, recognized the potential of the D-Type-derived machine and purchased it in 1957.
Accounts vary, but it’s believed that McQueen first saw the car at a studio lot on Sunset Boulevard, where Peterson would sometimes park it. Captivated by its sleek lines and aggressive stance, McQueen inquired about the car, and in 1958, he purchased it for a reported $4,000. It was love at first sight, and their bond would endure for years to come.
McQueen wasted no time in making the car his own. He repainted the exterior from its original light metallic hue to a deep, lustrous British Racing Green, the color that would become synonymous with his ownership. He commissioned renowned hot-rodder and upholsterer Tony Nancy to reupholster the interior in black leather, a more practical and stylish choice for his nocturnal escapades.
Perhaps the most iconic modification was the addition of a metal glovebox door, fabricated by none other than Von Dutch, the legendary pinstriper and counterculture icon. The glovebox, originally an open shelf in the dashboard, was now enclosed, its surface adorned with a subtle pinstripe detail. The story goes that McQueen needed a place to secure his sunglasses while thrashing the car through the canyons, a testament to his no-nonsense approach to driving.
He affectionately nicknamed the car “The Green Rat,” a nod to its slightly rough-around-the-edges character and its voracious appetite for fuel. This wasn’t a pampered show car; it was a tool for his automotive passions, a machine he drove hard, often late into the night, through the winding roads of the Hollywood Hills.
The Green Rat became a fixture in McQueen’s life. Photographs from the era show him working on the car in his garage, his face smudged with grease, a look of pure concentration on his face. He was in his element, surrounded by the machines he loved, the smell of oil and gasoline filling the air.
A Journey Through Time: Mulholland Drive in 2026
Today, the Green Rat resides in the Petersen Automotive Museum, meticulously preserved as a testament to McQueen’s enduring legacy. But its spirit lives on, and for us, the opportunity arose to relive those legendary drives, to experience the XKSS on the very roads that made it famous: Mulholland Drive.
The iconic thoroughfare, which snakes along the crest of the Hollywood Hills, was McQueen’s playground. Between the hours of midnight and 4 a.m., when the city slept, he and his buddies would take their cars out for a spin, pushing the limits of
