1938 Jaguar SS 2.5 Litre Saloon

Description

This vehicle will be sold via live auction on Saturday 14th March at Concours House, Bradford on Avon, with auctioneers Dore & Rees. The price listed is the bottom auction estimate, bids will start at around 25% below this figure on the day. Go to [Website URL removed] for more details.

1938 Jaguar SS 2.5 Litre Saloon

Registration Number: DAD 551
Chassis Number: 40070
Recorded Mileage: 85,555 miles

- From The Brian Ford Collection
- Subject of a previous comprehensive professional restoration
- Beautiful, on the button and ready to enjoy

The mighty Jaguar had its start as a simple swallow, such are the ironic annals of motoring history. William Lyons and William Walmsley began manufacturing motorcycle sidecars in Blackpool in 1922. By 1927, their Swallow Coachbuilding Company was turning out attractive little bodies on Austin, Morris, Fiat and Standard chassis. After a move to Coventry, they came out with the first of several generations of “SS” cars (for Swallow Sidecar), the SS1 of 1931. Based on the 16-hp Standard, it had an underslung chassis, a long bonnet and streamlined coachwork. A companion model, the SS2, was based on the Standard 9. Saloons, dropheads and tourers were offered by 1934, and a particularly attractive “Airline” fastback coupé developed a devoted following. The Jaguar name was first used in 1936 on the handsome sports saloon. This car had a 2,663-cc overhead valve version of the Standard engine, somewhat redesigned by Harry Weslake and William Heynes. Good for 90 mph, it was a relative bargain at £385. The greater fame, however, accrued to the short-chassis SS100 Jaguar two-seater.

According to the accompanying Jaguar Daimler Heritage certificate in the extensive history file, DAD 551 was first sold via Henly’s of London in June 1938 to a Captain J.N. Bailey, finished in Black with a Pigskin leather interior. The earlier history of the car picks up in 1949, at which point the car resides near Bristol, changing hands a few times until in 1956 being acquired by a garage in nearby Abbots Leigh. We understand the previous owner, Mr. Don Spur of Portishead, retrieved the SS from this garage some years later, in the 1990s entrusting respected local restorers Bristol Classic and Reproduction Cars to restore the car. The restoration was thorough, covering chassis, body, all main mechanical components, electrics, paintwork and trim. There is a further invoice in the file for an engine rebuild in 2000 by Davenport Cars for £5292.55.

Acquired by Mr. Ford in 2008 to join his extensive collection of British classic cars, the SS has been dry stored and used sparingly. Having recently been checked over prior to sale, we can confirm the car starts and runs very nicely, and presents extremely well in that classic art-deco colour scheme of black over pale yellow, with contrasting tan leather trim.

Supplied with a large history file of invoices, correspondence and notes, buff log book, V5c, a record of the the restoration, maintenance notes in current ownership from 2009 to 2022 and copy instruction books, this is indeed a beautifully presented example of one of the key models that put SS, and latterly Jaguar, firmly on the map.



About Us:
Dore & Rees run regular auctions of classic and collectors cars, motorcycles and automobilia, in addition to art and antiques auctions. For a full calendar of our auctions please go to the website.

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Ad ID: 1510371405

Exact specification may vary from the details on this page. Please contact the seller to reconfirm any details before purchasing. See Terms & Conditions for further information.