1961 Pininfarina Cadillac Brougham 'Jacqueline' Coupe

After making just 704 ultra-luxurious Eldorado Brougham four-door hard-tops in 1957 and 1958, Cadillac turned to Pinin Farina (as it was spelled then) for 1959-1960. After just 200 Pinin Farina Eldorado Broughams were made, Cadillac was finally ready to pull the plug. But Farina wanted to continue. To pique Caddy's interest, the coachbuilder showed two Brougham proposals of its own at the 1961 Paris Salon de I'Automobile. One was a four-door, the other a two-door hardtop; both were dubbed "Jacqueline," ostensibly in honor of the new American First Lady. Two key elements were absent from the show cars: an engine and Cadillac's trademark fins. Horizontal taillights wrapped into a body-length side cove. The broad grille practically swallowed the headlights. The golden two-door featured a brushed steel roof and no back seat. One-piece buckets were installed in front. (auto.howstuffworks.com)

Either Jacqueline Concepts was put into production. This Coupe version was put into the Pinin Farina museum. It would stay there for more than 30 years and only shown on vary rare occasions. During the mid-nineties, Pininfarina sold their design study from the 1960s and the Jacqueline eventually ended up in the United States. Upon its arrival to the United States, plans began for outfitting it with running gear. Technology and products available during the original period build were used. The chassis was a donated 1960 Eldorado Biarritz with power from a 1959 vintage Series 62 V8 that displaced 390 cubic-inches and provides 325hp. The suspension was comprised of front coil springs, rear leaf springs and hydraulic shock absorbers on all four corners. It was given a working steering system, essential gauges and instrumentation, operating foot pedals, and the appropriate wiring. The task was completed in the late-nineties and it was driven on the road under its own power for the first time. (conceptcarz.com)

(Photos from conceptcarz.com, autowp.ru, heritageclassics.com and flickr.com)

1957 Jaguar XKSS Roadster

In 1957, after Jaguar withdrew from racing, the company offered the 25 remaining, unfinished D-Type race car chassis as the road-going Jaguar XKSS.

Only minor changes were made to the basic D-type structure: the addition of a passenger side door, the removal of the large fin behind the driver's seat, and the removal of the divider between passenger and driver seats. In addition, changes were made for cosmetic, comfort and legal reasons: a full-width, chrome-surrounded windscreen was added; side-screens were added to both driver and passenger doors; a rudimentary, folding, fabric roof was added for weather protection; chromed bumpers were added front and rear (a styling cue later used on the E-type); XK140 rear light clusters mounted higher on the wings; and thin chrome strips added to the edge of the front light fairings.

With a Dual-Overhead Cam XK straight-six cylinder engine with 3442cc capacity, the vehicle could race from zero to sixty in 7.3 seconds. The 250 hp output was capable of propelling the car to a top speed of nearly 150 mph. Excellent stopping power was provided by the 4-wheel disc brakes.

On the evening of 12 February 1957, a fire broke out at the Browns Lane plant destroying 9 of the 25 cars that had already been completed or were semi-completed. Only 16 finished XKSSs survived. (wikipedia, conceptcarz.com,  & ultimatecarpage.com) 

Steve McQueen's Jaguar XKSS (chassis #713)

The American actor Steve McQueen owned a Jaguar XKSS for personal use, painted British racing green. He referred to the car as the "Green Rat". He used it both on the road and on the track before selling to William Harrah at the end of the 1960s. He missed the stylish Jaguar so much that he bought it back a few years later and kept it until his untimely death in 1984. Today it's part of the Petersen Museum Collection. It is the only XKSS with polished wheels.

(Photos from flickr.com, conceptcarz.com & ultimatecarpage.com)

Jaguar D-Type Race Car (1954-57)

The structural design of the D-Type, revolutionary at the time, applied aeronautical technology. The "tub", or cockpit section, was of monocoque construction, mostly comprising sheets of aluminium alloy. Powered by a straight-6 XK engine design (initially 3.4 litres and uprated to 3.8 litres in the late fifties). Total D-Type production is thought to have included 18 factory team cars, 53 customer cars, and 16 XKSS versions. (wikipedia)

(Photos from rmauctions.com)