XK150 Handbrake Lever

Also on my XK 150 DHC ( 1960 ) LHD ( French import ), the hand-brake lever is on the left side which is awkward as it touches the leg of the driver.It is a bit late to move it to the other side, but I would like to know if this is common on other LHD cars and if there was a good reason for that.Thanks - Michel Gosset

Re: the handbrake question. My 150DHC #838839 LHD US model, has the handbrake, as original, on the drivers side. I understand that this may be one of the latest 150DHC's. - William Burke

My XK150 FHC (Oct 1960) DN 874006 had the hand-brake lever on the left side, but as I examined the literature, I supposed that it had during the past owners partial, never finished restoration trial been installed wrongly. Or was it something, which had to be done in USA in 1960 (my car was registered in the USA early 1961). Anyway, besides it touched the driver´s leg it also didn´t give he drivers seat enough space to be moved forward/backward without ruining the leather, so I decided to change it to the right side, where also all the literature showed it should be. All the parts were the same, I didn´t have to do any changes to the lever or the car - so I was confirmed, that it should originally have been on the right side. - Tomi Jarvelin

to William C. Burke: Yes it is a late model. It is the the penultimate 150 imported in France by CH. DELECROIX . ( Delivered 9/11/60 ). Chassis = S 838978 DN. to Tomi Jarvelin: I am pretty sure that mine has always been on the driver's side ( I have known / owned the car for 26 years). To move it to the other side would mean modifying the leather ( gaiter around the lever ) which I do not want to do as it is original. Thanks - Michel Gosset

I do not know what the position was re LHD cars, but the earlier RHD 150s had the handbrake on the left (where the passenger was) and later cars on the right (next to the driver). Can we do a survey here too? Advise what side your h/brake is on and whether your car is LHD or RHD (originally). Add your chassis no. if I do not already have it. - Regards, John Elmgreen

Thanks Michel, I forgot to say (and even forgot myself, when answering to you), that I got the old leather parts with my car, when I bought it. The restoration had started 12 years before but had never finished (or gone even to half way), so the lever was adjusted, but the leather parts were not yet renewed. So it was obvious in my case at least, that originally the lever had been on the right side. - Tomi Järvelin

673099 has the hand brake on the off side. - Bruce Cunningham, '53 XK120 OTS

The hand brake lever on 150DHC #838839, a LHD car, is, and always has been on the drivers side. (I am the second owner and it was original, though worn out when I purchased it.). on a personnel note, the location does not present any problems that I can see. - William Burke

John, The handbrake lever on my 150 ots s830345 lhd is on the right, I was going to change it with the rh conversion but haven't done so yet.I see by the parts book that the levers are different, not only between rh and lh but auto and manual. A brief examination of the lever suggested to me the something had to be ground off and rewelding on the opposite side. - Don Tracey

XK150 OTS LHD, S831186 Hand brake on the right side - Paul Patek

John, My 150 is LHD and the handbrake lever is on the right (passenger side). - Ron Gaeta, '59 150 dhc, S837859

Ditto (hand brake on the off side) S817518 '55 DHC Jim Warren

John Elmgreen; XK 150 number S 836850 BW, LHD has the handbrake on the left (drivers) side. - Pete Perry

John, On my XK150s, Chassis#S 830895, originally LHD, the handbrake was on the passenger's or RH Side. During the restoration I have moved it to the LH Side as the car is now RHD. When I was negotiating the purchase of my car I was sent some photos of 1960 XK 150 DHC which indicated that the handbrake lever was on the drivers side of th tunnel. - Regards, Colin Haywood

Dear Mr. Elmgreen, "Blanch" is a 54' XK-120 DHC left hand drive, chassis 677572 and the hand brake is on the right. - Edgar Blake

'61 XK150 FHC LHD - definitely originally left side. - Jag150S@aol.com

John, On my 150 ( S 835140 ) the handbrake lever is on the right hand side which was originally the passenger side but is now the drivers side as the car has been converted to RHD. Having driven both "versions" I think the handbrake on the drivers side is more user friendly. - Roger Herrick

John, My XK150 DHC, originally RHD but presently converted to LHD, has the hand brake lever on the right hand side. I think I have read somewhere that Jaguar changed practice during the life span of the 150 ( i.e moved the position of the lever ). I think you have my numbers already - otherwise it is S827547 - a late 150 (03/60 ). Regards - Claes G Boregard

John, Mine is an early 150 (chassis no. S834161) which I believe is the 161st of the left hand drive versions. My hand brake is on the right, ie the passenger side. Best regards - Don Sime, Xk-150 fhc

John; I have been watching with interest the feedback on the handbrake location and the Vin#'s as I will soon be at that stage. Arvel response was interesting, as his vin# seems to precede my car S837441 15 May 58, but has a later build date. - Skip Smith

Hello all, I have been lurking on this list for a few weeks now. Unfortunately I am not an owner of an XK, but I am interested in these cars (all Jaguars in reality and I have an E-type now) and I have been the owner of an XK150 until 20 years ago. I bought this car in '69 in original condition (nobody thought of restoring them in these days) and I can still remember some details that may be of interest. The handbrake of my LHD model was on the right passenger side and of the fly off type. The car nr was S835737DN, engine nr V4865-8 and body nr J9328. It was a '58 Special Equipment coupe with B type head. It was a lovely car for touring and we made many trips to Holland (my home country) and England. The car was originally sold in France I believe, but I bought it in Geneva Switzerland and later exported it to France again where it survives in the south on the Mediterranian coast. Cheerio! - Frans Hoekemeijer

John: 1958 XK150S 3.4 OTS LHD (S830465DN, VS1044-9) has the handbrake on the right (passenger) side. It also has nice green flocking in the gloveboxes (the only decent bit of original interior trim to come with the car!!!). - Dave Quirt

I have been all through all the answers on the 150 handbrakes, and it seems that the only cars that had the handbrake on the driver's side may have been the very late cars that had the handbrake warning light indicator fitted. All of the answers received are consistent with that theory, and it is also mentioned in Wherrett's book (page 97). Anyone able to add anything? i.e. anything with a 150 that has a warning light but the handbrake on the passener's side? or without a warning light and with the handbrake on the driver's side? - Regards, John Elmgreen

John, my '58 XK 150 FHC Auto had the handbrake on the driver's side with no warning light. I heard it was the normal Automatic version. - Regards, Zafar Idham

Zafar, Yes, I heard that the auto had the handbrake on the driver's side too, I have not gone back to check as yet. - Regards, John Elmgreen

I saw the list moving toward John's theory on 150 handbrakes "that the only cars that had the handbrake on the driver's side may have been the very late cars that had the handbrake warning light indicator fitted" and knew that one of my OTS cars did not fit in that category. This car (S831949BW) is a July 1959 XK-150 OTS with its factory-fitted Borg-Warner automatic transmission. As many are aware, 150 open cars with automatics are very uncommon. Paul Skilleter (page 127 of his The Jaguar XKs) notes that 72 of OTS 150 cars were equipped with an automatic transmission. I bought the car in 1970 in pieces, i.e., parts were in bags, boxes, you name it, for $300. It is now restored. This left hand drive version has the handbrake handle fitted on the left side of the transmission tunnel and always seemed to be in the way since my right leg would make contact. Judging from the production date, I would say the car is roughly in the middle period of the 150 production run. It was also produced too early for the handbrake warning light indicator. So, when it appears that we can make some solid generalizations about features for these cars, along comes another exception. - Bob Oates

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