1937 SS Jaguar 100 2½ Litre Roadster

Chassis No. 18055
Engine No. 252020

First introduced in 1935 by S.S. Cars Limited, the SS Jaguar was the first automobile to bear the Jaguar name. Built on a new chassis and powered by a six-cylinder engine, it featured bodywork designed by none other than Sir William Lyons himself.

The company then unveiled its first true sports car, the SS Jaguar 100-the “100” referring to its projected 100-mph performance. It was built on a shortened chassis and featured lightweight, open two-seat bodywork. Powered by a 2.7-liter six-cylinder engine fitted with twin S.U. carburetors and mated to a four-speed Moss transmission, it produced 102 horsepower and propelled the car to a top speed of approximately 94 mph (151 km/h).

With its unmistakably racy character, the SS Jaguar 100 became a competitor in pre-war Royal Automobile Club (RAC) events and international rallies, where its combination of elegant styling and impressive performance drew considerable attention from the contemporary motoring press.

Of just 309 examples produced across all versions, only seven SS Jaguar 100s were delivered new to Czechoslovakia, including the car presented here. Supplied new finished in Metallic Grey with a Silver interior, it was sold through Ing. Zdeněk Klika, the first official Prague-based representative and importer of British marques, to its first owner Friedrich Seifert.

Transport inspection records from the 1950s reveal that the car remained in Czechoslovakia after the war, before being exported to Sweden some two decades later. It was on the occasion of an auction in Geneva in 2000, where it was presented carrying a British registration, SAR 775J, that the car came to Belgium. The current owner has owned it for the past 15 years. Upon acquiring the car, he recommissioned it and subsequently kept it as part of his collection, stored in static condition in a climate-controlled facility.

Regarded as Jaguar's first true sports car, the SS Jaguar 100 2½ Litre Roadster is a particularly compelling collector's automobile. Further enhanced by its matching-numbers engine, it would make a distinguished addition to any serious collection, while also offering the opportunity to participate in the growing number of prestigious pre-war motoring events experiencing a notable revival.