Jaguar resurrects the 3.8-liter XK6 engine block

More than 50 years since the mill ceased production, Jaguar is remanufacturing the cast-iron block for its 3.8-liter XK6 engine.

The iconic straight-six lump is recast by Jaguar Land Rover’s Classic Works facility in Coventry to the exact original specification and, as a genuine OEM part, comes with a 12-month warranty.First introduced in the 1958 XK150, the 3.8 XK6’s iron block was mated to an aluminum cylinder head with dual overhead camshafts and twin SU carburetors. In standard form it produced 220 hp, but the straight port head and triple carbs on the XK150 would free up a further 45 hp. It’s in that guise that the 3.8 powered the Series 1 XKE E-Type.

Over the next decade the 3.8 would power another five Jaguar models, before being discontinued. It was a hugely characterful engine, but not without its flaws. Chief among them was the fact that the cylinder block was fitted with liners. Behind these liners were cooling grooves which tended to get blocked with rust over time. That often led to overheating, piston seizure and a cracked cylinder block. So you can see why Jaguar has pulled out the old blueprints and starting making them again.

The new block can be fitted to the Jaguar XK150, XK150s, Mark 2, E-Type, Mark 10, and S-Type and costs around $18,000 plus shipping.