THE XKSS: AMERICAN DREAM Reflecting on the era, it is utterly remarkable how many of the greatest post-war European sports cars came to be because of the United States.

Post-war America through the late 1950s saw a new crop of enthusiastic young drivers, flush with money from a booming economy, who wanted the latest and greatest machinery with the sexiest lines and the most powerful engines.

Europe’s war-torn automakers, meanwhile, were all too eager to supply whatever American dollars wanted.

The resulting alchemy produced automotive magic, the likes of the Mercedes-Benz 300 SL, the Ferrari 250 GT California Spider, and the Porsche 356 Speedster.

The epitome of this era was the Jaguar XKSS.

Jaguar had withdrawn from racing following the 1956 season and was left with a number of D-types remaining unsold in their factory stock.

An idea was had that the cars could be converted to roadgoing specification and sold into the American market.

The conversion, as it were, involved removi...