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The Legend of the Green Rat: Driving Steve McQueen’s 1957 Jaguar XKSS in 2026
Steve McQueen remains the ultimate symbol of American cool, a mercurial rebel who commanded the screen with a smoldering intensity that few actors have ever matched. Even today, decades after his untimely death, his legend endures, amplified by the mythos of his personal life and his legendary collection of cars. Among those machines, none holds quite the same cachet as his 1957 Jaguar XKSS, a brutal, beautiful survivor known affectionately as the “Green Rat.”
For a select few, that legend is not just history but a driving reality. In the spring of 2026, I found myself at the wheel of this very car, heading toward the iconic Mulholland Drive in the Hollywood Hills. It was a pilgrimage of sorts, a chance to connect with the spirit of the King of Cool on the very asphalt where he carved his legend.
The Man and the Machine
Before delving into the experience of driving the Green Rat, it’s essential to understand the man who made it his own. Steve McQueen was a paradox—a dyslexic orphan who rose to become one of the highest-paid actors in the world; a man of profound idealism who could be cruel and volatile; a loner who craved connection. His off-screen persona was as compelling and complex as any character he played, a blend of raw masculinity, philosophical depth, and an insatiable thirst for speed.
This complex nature found its outlet in his lifelong passion for automobiles and motorcycles. McQueen wasn’t just a celebrity who owned fast cars; he was a genuine gearhead who understood the mechanical ballet of high performance. His filmography is littered with iconic automotive moments—the relentless pursuit in Bullitt, the visceral drag race in The Thomas Crown Affair, and the soul-searching endurance racing in Le Mans. These weren’t just stunts; they were expressions of his true self.
McQueen’s love for speed wasn’t limited to the silver screen. He was a serious competitor, participating in the 1970 12 Hours of Sebring alongside Peter Revson, finishing a remarkable second overall despite nursing a broken foot. This competitive fire, this need to push the limits, was the very essence of McQueen. And it was this spirit that made his acquisition of the 1957 Jaguar XKSS so significant.
The Genesis of the Beast
To truly appreciate the XKSS, one must rewind to the golden age of 1950s sports car racing. The decade belonged to a select few marques, and Jaguar was at the forefront. Their D-Type racer was a masterpiece of engineering, a low-slung, aerodynamic marvel that dominated endurance races worldwide. The D-Type’s innovative monocoque chassis and powerful XK engine made it a formidable contender, securing multiple victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
However, by the late 1950s, the D-Type was reaching the end of its competitive life. Stricter regulations and the emergence of more powerful rivals from Ferrari and Aston Martin left Jaguar with a surplus of these incredible machines. Rather than let them languish, the company embarked on a visionary project: converting 25 of these race cars into street-legal GTs, christening them the XKSS.
The transformation was dramatic. The dorsal fin, a signature element of the D-Type’s aerodynamic profile, was removed. A full-width windscreen replaced the minimalist aero screens. Functional doors were added, a rudimentary convertible top was fitted, and side curtains provided a modicum of weather protection. These were not luxury cruisers; they were raw, visceral machines stripped of excess, retaining the heart-pounding soul of a race car with just enough civility for the road.
The Arrival of the Green Rat
In 1957, chassis number XK.SS.713 was born. Finished in brilliant white with a red interior, it was imported to the United States for a customer in Altadena, California. Its first owner, building contractor James Peterson, was deeply involved in the early days of motorsports, even participating in the development of the legendary Riverside International Raceway.
Peterson’s ownership was brief. He soon sold the XKSS to Bill Leyden, a charismatic television personality whose studio was located on Sunset Boulevard. It was there, on that legendary stretch of Hollywood asphalt, that the King of Cool first laid eyes on the car.
The year was 1958. Steve McQueen, then a rising star known for his brooding intensity, was captivated. According to biographer Christopher Sandford, McQueen paid $4,000 for the XKSS, a considerable sum at the time. This marked the beginning of a legendary association.
McQueen immediately began to imprint his personality on the car. He repainted it a deep, brooding British Racing Green, though some accounts suggest he drove it in its original white livery for a time. The interior was reupholstered in black leather by none other than Tony Nancy, a renowned L.A. hot-rodder and upholstery wizard. Perhaps the most famous modification was the addition of a metal glovebox door, purportedly to prevent McQueen’s sunglasses from flying out during spirited drives.
This was the genesis of the “Green Rat.” It wasn’t a pristine museum piece; it was a working machine, a partner in McQueen’s nocturnal adventures. He drove it hard, often late at night, terrorizing the winding roads of the Hollywood Hills. Local residents learned to recognize the car’s distinctive roar, a sound that announced the King of Cool’s passage through their neighborhood.
The Legend of Mulholland Drive
For McQueen, Mulholland Drive was not just a road; it was a proving ground, a private playground where he could unleash the beast within his Jaguar. This curvaceous ribbon of asphalt, winding along the crest of the Hollywood Hills, offered the perfect canvas for his automotive theater.
Imagine the scene: the city lights of Los Angeles sprawling below like a jeweled tapestry, the silence of the night broken only by the guttural snarl of a Jaguar’s engine. McQueen, alone or with a select circle of friends, would navigate the tight corners and sweeping curves, the car dancing on the edge of adhesion.
It was on these very roads that McQueen forged much of his legend. Stories abound of his exploits—police chases that ended in laughter rather than arrests, high-speed antics that blurred the line between performance and recklessness. One enduring legend tells of an LAPD officer who promised his colleagues an expensive steak dinner for the officer who could finally ticket McQueen for speeding. The story goes that despite numerous sightings and occasional pursuits, no one ever succeeded. The Green Rat remained elusive, a ghost in the machine.
For me, standing on Mulholland Drive in 2026, with the same skyline stretching out before me, the air thick with the weight of history, it was easy to picture him there. The road remains, albeit more developed and pockmarked by time, but the spirit of those nights lingers.
Getting Behind the Wheel
Accessing McQueen’s 1957 Jaguar XKSS is an exercise in privilege. The car is now a centerpiece of the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles, one of the world’s premier automotive institutions. Through the museum’s director, Dick Messer, a close confidant of McQueen in his later years, a rare opportunity arose: a private driving session on Mulholland Drive.
Sliding into the XKSS is an experience in itself. The cockpit is intimate, snug, a stark contrast to the spacious interiors of modern GT cars. Tony Nancy’s black leather upholstery, now burnished with decades of use, envelops the driver. The wood-rimmed steering wheel sits close to the chest, and the classic Smiths gauges—a large tachometer on the left, a speedometer on the right—are perfectly positioned. The feeling is one of being strapped into a fighter jet, not a road car.
The starter motor whines against the engine’s high compression, then the 3.4-liter straight-six erupts with a visceral bark. The exhaust, exiting through side pipes, provides a raw, unfiltered soundtrack—a throaty gurgle that speaks of racing pedigree. It’s a sound that bypasses the ears and resonates deep in the chest.
Shifting gears is a mechanical ballet. The stubby lever, topped with an aluminum knob, requires a firm hand. There’s no electronic assistance here, no synchromesh smoothness. Each engagement is a deliberate act, a confirmation of the driver’s control. The clutch is quick but manageable, and the gearbox, though stiff, slots into place with a satisfying precision when treated with authority.
Power delivery is intoxicating. With around 300 horsepower and a weight of just over 2,000 pounds, the XKSS is not merely fast; it is brutally quick. 0-to-60 mph times of around five seconds were utterly exotic for 1957, and the car retains that sense of explosive acceleration today. The engine pulls strongly from low revs, the torque immediate and insistent. Redline shifts are unnecessary; the car surges forward with a wave of power that makes passing effortless.
Cornering is where the XKSS truly reveals its dual nature. On the mottled pavement of Mulholland, the ride is surprisingly supple, a testament to the Jaguar’s robust chassis and the meticulous restoration. Yet, the steering is razor-sharp, the road surface feeding back through the wheel with crystalline clarity. There’s a directness, an unfiltered connection between driver and machine that is increasingly rare in the modern era.
The brakes, large Dunlop discs all around, provide ample stopping power, though the pedal feel is firm, almost
