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Jaguar XK 150 Dönni Special - special across eras and certainly special

Name: Jaguar XK 150 Dönni Special 1957
Brand: Jaguar

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Created on March 16, 2017

Text:

Bruno von Rotz

Photos:

Daniel Reinhard

Bruno von Rotz

Balz Schreier

Archiv

Daniel Reinhard

Bruno von Rotz

Balz Schreier

Archiv

Georg Doenni on Jaguar Special - Impressions from the 2014 "On Snow and Ice" rally

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Jaguar XK 150 "Dönni Special" (1957) - a special that differs significantly from the typical XK 150 design

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Jaguar XK 150 "Dönni Special" (1957) - the radiator grille comes from an SS 1

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Jaguar XK 150 "Dönni Special" (1957) - the mudguards leave enough space for the suspension travel

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Jaguar XK 150 "Dönni Special" (1957) - boat tail, as it was often designed in the thirties

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Jaguar XK 150 "Dönni Special" (1957) - the luggage travels in the rear

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Jaguar XK 150 "Dönni Special" (1957) - however, the Special does not have a heater

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Jaguar XK 150 "Dönni Special" (1957) - no longer resembles an XK 150 at all

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Jaguar XK 150 "Dönni Special" (1957) - Driving machine

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Jaguar XK 150 "Dönni Special" (1957) - the rear leaf springs are clearly visible

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Jaguar XK 150 "Dönni Special" (1957) - four headlights so that you can also drive at night

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Jaguar XK 150 "Dönni Special" (1957) - little wind protection for the crew

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Jaguar XK 150 "Dönni Special" (1957) - winter tires for snow and ice

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Jaguar XK 150 "Dönni Special" (1957) - also popular for winter rallies

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Jaguar XK 150 "Dönni Special" (1957) - clearly pre-war look

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Jaguar XK 150 "Dönni Special" (1957) - a Jaguar like no other

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Jaguar XK 150 "Dönni Special" (1957) - center-mounted instruments

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Jaguar XK 150 "Dönni Special" (1957) - no modern instruments

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Jaguar XK 150 "Dönni Special" (1957) - Fuel gauge

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Jaguar XK 150 "Dönni Special" (1957) - labeled, but not understandable for everyone

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Jaguar XK 150 "Dönni Special" (1957) - barely disguised technology, the steering wheel shows traces of former combat

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Jaguar XK 150 "Dönni Special" (1957) - the spare wheel is ready to hand

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Jaguar XK 150 "Dönni Special" (1957) - tightly cut driver's cab

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Jaguar XK 150 "Dönni Special" (1957) - the modern Jaguar six-cylinder

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Jaguar XK 150 "Dönni Special" (1957) - two overhead camshafts, three SU carburetors

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Jaguar XK 150 "Dönni Special" (1957) - free breathing for the in-line six-cylinder engine

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Jaguar XK 150 "Dönni Special" (1957) - the three SU carburetors

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Jaguar XK 150 "Dönni Special" (1957) - the mudguards are firmly bolted on

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Jaguar XK 150 "Dönni Special" (1957) - a damper could be dispensed with

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Jaguar XK 150 "Dönni Special" (1957) - the "SS" indicates the age of the radiator grille, over 80 years old

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Jaguar XK 150 "Dönni Special" (1957) - spare wheel lashed down, here too an SS symbol

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Jaguar XK 150 "Dönni Special" (1957) - the rear light needs to be repaired again

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Jaguar XK 150 "Dönni Special" (1957) - Consequences of a small bump

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Jaguar XK 150 "Dönni Special" (1957) - Handcrafted

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Jaguar XK 150 "Dönni Special" (1957) - two gas caps

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Jaguar XK 150 Dönni Special (1958) - Planai-Classic 2017

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Jaguar XK 150 Special (1957) at the Michaelskreuzrennen 2011 (starting number 251)

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Jaguar Special - at the Oldtimer Grand Prix Safenwil 2011

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Jaguar XK 150 Old Mill Special (1957) at the Altbüron 2017 mountain test - field 3

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Jaguar XK 150 Coupé (1958) - in a sales brochure

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Jaguar XK 150 Drophead Coupé (1960) - on a dusty road

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Jaguar XK 150 Drophead Coupé (1958) - harmonious shot in the park

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Jaguar XK 150 (1958) - edited factory photo

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Jaguar XK 150 "Dönni Special" (1957) - clearly visible SU carburetors

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Jaguar XK 150 "Dönni Special" (1957) - the shape evolved over the years

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Jaguar XK 150 "Dönni Special" (1957) - Doors are available / not required

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Summary

The Jaguar XK 150 was more modern, more comfortable and more luxurious than its predecessors, the XK 120 and XK 140. Like its predecessors, however, it had a stable chassis that could also be fitted with bodywork other than the coupé and cabriolet variants intended by the factory. Jaguar restorer Georg Dönni took advantage of this to build a "Special" to his own taste. This vehicle report tells the exciting story of the Dönni Special and shows it in many pictures.

This article contains the following chapters

The XK success story
Progressive design
An amateur racing driver from the region
Rebirth under new auspices
Refinement over the years
Taken hard
Better and better

Estimated reading time: 4min

Preview (beginning of the article)

The Jaguar XK 150 was more modern, more comfortable and more luxurious than its predecessors, the XK 120 and XK 140. However, when you look at Georg Dönni's special, you don't notice much of this; you feel like you've been transported back a few more years. But let's tell the story from the beginning. At the London Motor Show in the fall of 1948, a new sports car was unveiled whose name also referenced its top speed in miles: the Jaguar XK 120. At the time, William Lyons was actually more interested in the engine and the sports car was primarily a finger exercise for his team to show off at the motor show, but the car was greeted enthusiastically. The result was a small series with an aluminum body, which was followed by real series production. From 1951, the XK 120 was also available as a coupé, and in the fall of 1954 the successor XK 140 was presented, which had grown a little, especially on the inside.

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