You might not initially think of conceptual supercars when waxing nostalgic about the 1950s, but a few high-end auto manufacturers of the day were attempting to push the proverbial envelope with futuristic sports cars that not only performed better than anything previous, but that would also help carry the brand through the years to come.

One of the biggest projects happening in the 1950s was headed up by Jaguar. The end result was a stunning sports car that became an instant classic and is widely sought after by classic car lovers today – the 1957 Jaguar XKSS.

In actuality, the XKSS wasn’t that far removed from previous Jaguar D-Types in function; but in terms of personality and conceptual originality, the XKSS was created to be the equivalent of a the fighter jet to a sky full of single-engine crop-dusters.

When the Jaguar XKSS was originally shown, it was known as the XKD547 and the public got its first view of the concept car at the 1956 Barcelona Motor Show. After the car was sent back to the main Jaguar plant, it was then converted further into the XKSS728.

Only 16 cars were produced in total, all painstakingly hand-built and treated with care, and the first XKSS model was shown at the Chicago Motor Show in North America in 1957. The new Jaguar model was extremely stylish to look at. Its sleek black body was similar to a Stingray Corvette in shape, but its two large round headlights were decidedly European.

Everything about the car screamed “sport,” from the large wheels and engine, to the two-seater setup with racing components like the transmission. The XKSS was the crown jewel of the Jaguar D-Type line. Meant to be specifically racecars, the D-Type roadsters were extremely powerful while also appearing graceful.

Although every model of the Jaguar D-Type released was popular for the day, the 1957 model catapulted Jaguar to a whole other level. On the racing circuit, the 1957 XKSS D-Type earned five of the top six places, and the world’s wealthiest businessmen were lining up to place an order for this rare release.

The most noticeable differences in the racecar and the road release included: a larger windscreen to better accommodate a variety of drivers; a folding soft top that stored easily in the car’s trunk (boot); the inclusion of a passenger-side door; a small luggage grid mostly for stylistic purposes; and chrome luxury trim.

The road-going XKSS was lightweight and handled extremely well, weighing only 2,000 pounds with a 90x50x48-inch wheelbase. The engine used in the Jaguar was also a great inclusion. Not only was it powerful and ahead of its time, but Jaguar kept the same engine in some of their cars until 1992.

The 3.5 liter dual overhead camshaft inline six-cylinder Jaguar XK was both powerful and reliable. At the time, the Jaguar XKSS cost around £2464. Today, you could be looking at over 4 million for one of the original 16 models.