Stolen Jaguar XKSS Steve McQueen Tribute Recovered
Unfortunately, with the rise of vehicle thefts classic cars have become targets, especially some of the more sought-after models. That could be why back at the beginning of December 2024 someone swiped a Jaguar XKSS Steve McQueen Tribute in the Austin, Texas area. After two months, investigators tracked the stolen Jag down in one piece.Thanks to social media as well as car sites publishing stories about it, like The Auto Wire, West Lake Hills Police say they got several good leads on where the XKSS might be. This just goes to show that covering car theft stories does make an impact.
Weeks later, one officer following up on a lead gained information that proved useful for detectives. Using that, they were able to secure a search warrant for a storage facility in North Austin. Once police gained entry, they not only found the Jaguar XKSS in perfect condition but other stolen property they say has a combined value of $625,000.
As you might imagine, the owner of the Steve McQueen Jaguar is ecstatic, probably because he figured the car was gone forever. He told police, "I am incredibly grateful to all the officers and detectives that worked on my case. Their attention and dedication to finding my car was impressive and truly appreciated."
It's always great to see a happy ending like this, especially since we see so many car theft cases where the vehicle is never found, or if it is the vehicle has been stripped.
It sounds like West Lake Hills Police are still building a case for the Jaguar's theft, because they're asking anyone with information to come forward. We want to see car thieves answer for their crimes, so if you know anything, please contact them at 512-327-1195.
Image via West Lake Hill Police/Facebook
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Yahoo
Georgia Trooper Smacks Down A Street Takeover Lexus
Read the full story on The Auto Wire Watching cops chase down street takeover suspects is always so satisfying, like this Georgia trooper taking down a fleeing Lexus IS 300. After all, these guys shut down busy intersections like they own the city, snarl up traffic while doing all kinds of damage, all so their buddies can record videos for TikTok and Instagram. Read our guide to the best automotive photography accessories you can you get on Amazon here. When the trooper first happens upon the takeover in Atlanta, he encounters pedestrians standing in the intersection, as well as the Lexus ripping a smokey donut. Those people on foot smartly jump out of the way. But as the trooper starts chasing the fleeing IS 300, one pedestrian makes like he's going to jump in front of the patrol car. We can imagine he was trying to help out his buddy, but the guy apparently doesn't know that could come with serious criminal charges, not to mention he might get run over. Needless to say, even as far as takeover crowds come, these kids aren't the brightest crayons in the box. That's evident as the driver thinks his little Lexus can outrun a Dodge Charger with a Hemi. Then again, the street takeover crowd tries to act like car enthusiasts, but we've found they know little about cars. If they did and valued them, they wouldn't be trashing their rides for cheap thrills. Maybe this guy thought his experience doing tricks in intersections would make him a better driver than a member of Georgia State Patrol. But the trooper keeps up no problem. In fact, we're pretty sure he doesn't have to push his cruiser all that hard. But it's apparent the suspect is planting his foot down in the little Lexus while his hazard lights are flashing. Finally, after trying to use the might of all six cylinders of his car, he finally realizes that's not going to cut the mustard. That's when the guy starts making quick turns, but he still can't outhandle the trooper who PITs the IS out. As the suspect drives out of that, another trooper comes along and PITs the Lexus again. Surrounded by at least three troopers, the kid and his passenger give up. Hopefully they both realized street takeovers are a dumb idea. Image via State Boyzzz/YouTube Join our Newsletter, subscribe to our YouTube page, and follow us on Facebook.
Forbes
4 days ago
- Forbes
Test-Driving ECD's Jaguar E-Type GTO #1 'The Connecticut Commission'
ECD Auto Design's radical new Jaguar E-Type restomod blends historical elements with modern creature ... More comforts. One of the most desirable cars in the world lives at the Petersen Automotive Museum, which allows the general public to catch a glimpse of, but certainly not drive, Steve McQueen's 1956 Jaguar XKSS. Nicknamed 'The Green Rat,' McQueen's Jag reached legendary status in Hollywood lore, but is also the car I grew up hearing my dad reminisce about from his own childhood in Laurel Canyon. More recently, I came perhaps the closest I might ever come to driving an XKSS, on a dreamy day in a spectacular E-Type restomod build by Florida-based ECD Auto Design. This car emerged from the company formerly known as East Coast Defenders as a one-off customer commission inspired by the XKSS, the historical D-Type racecars it was based on and even the Ferrari 250 GTO. The build features totally custom bodywork with a removable hardtop, a hot-rod V12 engine and a five-speed manual transmission—all in green over tan, of course. The GTO's wood-rimmed steering wheel, dash switchgear and upright shifter all hark back to Jaguars ... More of olde. ECD brought the car, in this case known as GTO # 1 or The Connecticut Commission, out for test drives in Malibu alongside a more traditional E-Type 2+2 featuring an American V8 and automatic gearbox. For a bit of context, I drove the coupe first. And boy, does ECD turn out a spectacular creation, which perfectly nails modern ease and classic comfort. The Chevrolet LT1 V8 puts down effortless torque that matches buttery gearshifts, a smooth suspension setup, immaculate steering precision and excellent visibility over that longer-than-long hood. After a few minutes, I slipped into The Connecticut Commission, which introduced a new level of build complexity for ECD. As I acquainted myself to the car, founder Tom Humble described the job as the kind of undertaking reserved only for repeat customers. 'When it's someone that's a repeat customer, we do let them lead a little bit,' he told me. 'We'll kind of keep it in the realms of possibility, but if they want something one-off and hand-built, I mean, that's what we do.' 'Luckily, the architecture is already there in the car. It's just a little bit of refinement and modernizing where you can, and it actually comes out really nice. You don't need to reinvent the wheel with the E-Types, you need to just refine them a little bit.' Fully custom bodywork finished in metallic British Racing Green drapes over wire wheels and Fosseway ... More Performance brakes. Building a Newly Stylized Jaguar Restomod The GTO theoretically started life as a Series 2 E-Type, but now features the fully custom body, details from a Series 1 including the taillight and headlight covers, plus the V12 engine from a Series 3 that Team CJ of Austin, Texas, bored out to 6.8 liters with fully upgraded internals and gorgeous velocity stacks. The mill now routes around 450 horsepower through a Tremec five-speed on the way to a Series 3 rear end rebuilt with a limited-slip differential. That rear end presented further challenges given the wider body, so ECD needed to source entirely new axles and cradles—all custom jobs—plus a set of sparkling wire wheels. And even before pulling away, first impressions of the GTO versus the 2+2 revealed an entirely new ballgame. On a sunny day, we ditched the hardtop, but I still needed to adjust to the smaller Momo steering wheel with a mahogany rim, as well as the surprisingly notchy shift knob. Then, I slotted the key into the center console above the shifter and thumbed the ignition to fire up that V12, which barked to life raucously before settling into a lumpy idle. Lifting the clamshell hood reveals a stroked V12 that looks just as good as it sounds. Humble acknowledges the appeal of the Jaguar V12, which Team CJ spent six months building (a pittance compared to the 14 months the hand-formed body required) but honestly recommends the LT1 small block to most customers in the name of reliability and simplicity. But even after a few seconds, everyone will fall in love with this V12. And even if a few oil hiccups might crop up over the years, at least it's not carbureted, so fuel injection should help with cold starts on early Sunday mornings. The neighbors won't appreciate the grumbling exhaust, though the engine doesn't rev particularly high for a V12, given the 6,000-rpm redline. But it's a spicy torque monster, as I quickly discovered while acclimating to the clutch pedal, which engages rather high off the floor. We slowly pulled away, the wind rush starting to ruffle hairs, but the lack of calm versus the 2+2 only highlighted everything wonderful about the drive. Lucente Hercules leather contrasts perfectly with the BRG paintjob. Undeniable Performance Gains, But Further Refinement Still Required By comparison, the GTO's suspension more squarely rides the wider tires, all of which imbues a newfound level of perceived performance even without pushing particularly hard. The steering weights up mightily entering corners, as the engine blatters away—I found a quick shift helped to prevent the revs from dropping too rapidly between gears. We've come a long way from the boatlike nature of an unmodified E-Type, but the slight revisions make do quite nicely. I enjoyed not just the sensory overload of physical effort, lateral g forces and aural stimulation, but also spent plenty of time sussing out the varying character that the total combination of ECD's decisions create. Each car brings a different unique nature to the table, and even if the GTO still needs a bit of ironing out to reach the level of build quality the 2+2 clearly revealed, the rugged tactility of more directly harnessing a V12 engine in a lighter body with wider track all create a compelling case for the more hardcore build. Perfection in the details required 14 months of labor, by hand, to complete the GTO's immaculate ... More bodywork. Brief impressions aside, as we wrapped up the day, I also wondered whether I'll ever get any closer to living out my lifelong XKSS dream. For that reason alone, GTO # 1 aka The Connecticut Commission sure seems worth the extra investment—which I can admit is no joke, jumping up from $399,000 to start for the 2+2 all the way to $599,000 for the GTO. But that indelible attraction is what ECD hopes to bank on, as the firm continues refining this first effort and ever improving the classic Jaguar E-Type.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Yahoo
Wage Your War With A Saxon 105
Read the full story on Backfire News Owning a military vehicle like this 1986 Saxon 105 could be a lot of fun, if you can figure out what to do with it. This debatably classic might be road legal where you live, but it can only reach a top speed of 55 mph, so going on the highway wouldn't be all that know for some, the allure of owning a military vehicle overrides any inconvenience, because playing with big trucks that have been used in warfare or at least were designed to fight is just too cool. The Saxon was used by the UK military as an armored personnel carrier. A few other groups used them, but it's most likely this one carried Brits in operations, or at least training exercises. Motivating this truck is a Bedford 6-cylinder diesel engine. If that doesn't mean anything to you, this might not be the vehicle for you, because this is a far cry from a Toyota Corolla. Also, the asking price is $82,000 so you really need to want one of these things to even seriously consider it. Plus, the owner says you have to put down a $500 deposit and be supervised to take it for a spin, so he's filtering for genuine buyers only. If that doesn't scare you off, this Saxon 105 is pretty cool and we don't see too many up for sale these days. The seller says the tires are new, so that's a plus. There are two telescoping cameras that are joystick controlled, two monitors, night vision, and upgraded LED lights in the cabin. Just keep in mind the interior is a little rough, but that's to be expected with a decommissioned military vehicle. Maybe you're the one to make this a bougie Saxon 105? See this vehicle's listing for yourself here. Images via Tina Hyatt Youngblood/Facebook Marketplace
