1939 SS100 Jaguar 3½ Litre Open Sports

A fabulous example of one of just 116 3½ Litre versions built, and with a remarkable ownership record of 70 years with one person! The car was bought by the last owner in 1955, and has been cherished since then. The car was raced in the early post-war years, 1948 to 1952, at which time it had cycle wings fitted. Then, and since, the car has been well cared-for and was returned to original specification, with correct wings, etc, and has undergone various restoration work over the years, mechanical and cosmetic, including a major body renovation in the 1990s. An excellent car in all respects, cosmetically, structurally and mechanically, accompanied by a history file with some lovely invoices going back to the 1940s, a buff logbook from the 1950s, a correct handbook, photo documentation of excellent quality work in progress, various MoT certificates, and a couple of magazines which include articles on the car and its history. Running/driving very nicely and offered serviced, newly MoT tested.

Price. £295,000.

Snippets:  Racing Auctioneer

In January 1939 the SS100 was bought by its first owner – whose name we don’t know and was laid up for the duration of the war in a showroom in Preston.  The 2nd owner was Henry Talbot Wilson (1912/1970), a keen motorist & fly-fisherman who purchased the car after the war with only 5,000 miles on the clock! From the notes we have it would seem that H.T. Wilson was a man of speed & during the period 1948/52 entered many motoring events – in 1950 he had a ½ mile standing start recorded at 27.4 seconds!  He took place in events at Goodwood (1st), Queensferry, Silverstone, Rhydymwyn, Croft & Prescot Hill Climb (53.24sec) to mention a few.  Outside of the race track H T Wilson was an auctioneer based in West Kirby & in 1968 he was fined the sum of £5 for speeding in a 30mph zone!  His love of fly fishing was ultimately the cause of his death as he slipped whilst landing a 12lb salmon and drowned in the river Wyre.

In the 1950s the car was with Gilbert Edwin Davies who in 1954 took over the position of Managing Director of Nortons Ltd, Newport from his father Samuel G Davies – he had become MD of Nortons in 1922 when the founder of the firm Tom Norton retired.  Gilbert was also the MD of Exclusive Cars Ltd who were distributors of Jaguar & Lagonda Cars in Cardiff.  His father joined the Austin Motor Company in 1917 in the costing department and in 1935/6 & 1940/41 was President of the Motor Agents Association.

In 1955 the car appeared to pass through the hands of Maurice Lewis Green of Cardiff – he sold the car that same year to a 21 year old Michael Turner who kept the car until his death in 2025.