Rusty 1958 Jaguar car that was used as a chicken coop before being buried behind a fake wall in a shed for 25 years is discovered… and will sell for £100,000 when finished
- The car belonged to a farmer who bought it about 30 years ago as a restoration project
A rust bucket Jaguar car that was used as a chicken coop before being buried behind a false wall in a shed for 25 years has been discovered.
The 1958 Jaguar XK150 drophead coupe was owned by a farmer who bought it as a restoration project about 30 years ago.
But it languished on one side of his barn, where his chickens rested in it. Unable to move it, the owner decided to brick it up and build a breeze block wall to hide it.
It remained rusting and ruining for a quarter of a century before a car enthusiast learned of the rare engine’s existence and offered to buy it.
Even then, he had no idea that it was hidden behind a secret wall that had to be demolished to get to it.
The 1958 Jaguar XK150 drophead coupe was owned by a farmer who bought it as a restoration project about 30 years ago. But it languished on one side of his barn, where his chickens rested in it. Unable to move it, the owner decided to brick it up and build a breeze block wall to hide it
1958 Jaguar XK150 in Augsburg, Germany on September 29, 2019 (file photo)
The dusty interior of the vehicle
The original documents of the vehicle
Despite being covered in rust and dirt, torn seats, a torn fabric roof and peeling paintwork, it is still worth £40,000 in the condition in which it was found.
That’s because the two-seater sports car retains its original features, including the chassis and engine, and is highly sought after by collectors.
Only 2,672 Jaguar XK150 drophead coupes were made by the British brand, making this a rare find.
Once restored to its former glory, the bike will be worth more than £100,000.
It will be sold by Humbert & Ellis Auctioneers of Daventry, Northants.
The rusted chassis of the car
The car’s steering wheel
The car engine
The speedometer
A view of the rear of the car after it was removed from the shed
Auctioneer Jonathan Humbert said: ‘It is a matching numbers car that is in original, unrestored, untouched condition. There aren’t many around.
‘Our salesman is a car enthusiast and heard about this Jaguar. But even then he had no idea it had been hidden behind a wall in a barn for 25 years.
‘The previous owner had pushed it against the end of a farm shed. It had housed chickens before the owner decided to wall it up.
‘When our salesman came by, he had to ask where it was and they had to bulldoze the wall to get to it. He bought it there and then.
‘There is a lot of interest in it because it is ripe for restoration.’
The Jaguar in its new setting
The Jaguar in the shed
The car engine
Information about the vehicle’s components has been preserved
The speedometer of the car
The Jaguar’s headlights
The license plate of the car
The car’s Jaguar logo
He added: ‘This car harkens back to a time when British engineering was at the top and Jaguar cars were at the top.
‘Once this car is restored it will be worth at least £100,000.’
The Jaguar has a 3,442 cc petrol engine and reaches a top speed of 240 km/h. It was originally white with red leather seats and chrome bumpers and wheels.
It will be sold on Monday.