1938 Jaguar SS 100 Roadster 3½-Litre
- Engine
- 3.5L OHV inline-six, twin SU carburetors, 125 bhp
- Colour
- Gunmetal gray
Chassis 49049 is a 3½-litre SS 100 Jaguar roadster, one of only 116 examples of this variant produced between 1937 and 1940. Delivered new in July 1938 through a London-area distributor, it spent decades in the United States and was in single ownership for 43 years before passing to its current custodian. The car has recently undergone a documented concours-quality restoration to its original Gunmetal Gray livery with red leather interior, carried out by marque specialists Classic Showcase.
Ownership
- —Auction saleSold US$572,000
- 1938-07-27 →Factory deliveryE.A. Dayfull documentation
Purchased new via Henley's Distributors west of London; registered as EYU 868.
- 1960 → 1971-08-01John Freemanpartial documentation
Based in Baldwin, New York; reportedly authored an article about racing the car at Bridgehampton, published in a vintage sports car club periodical around 1968.
- 1971-08-01 → 2014Private saleGeoffrey Howardpartial documentation
Held the car for over four decades until his passing in 2014; during this period the car was refinished in red and partial restoration preparations were begun.
- 2014 →Acquisition unknownCurrent ownerfull documentation
Commissioned a full concours-level restoration by Classic Showcase, returning the car to its original Gunmetal Gray with red leather interior; all work is documented on DVD along with a Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust Certificate.
Competition
- 1968Vintage Sports Car ClubBridgehampton vintage raceDriver: John Freeman
Freeman reportedly documented his participation in this event in an article for a vintage sports car club magazine.
Maintenance & restoration
- —Bodywork
Car was refinished in red at some point during Geoffrey Howard's ownership and partially prepared for a fuller restoration, though that work was not completed before his death.
Work took place sometime before 2014 during Howard's 43-year ownership.
- —RestorationClassic Showcase
Full concours-quality restoration to original specification: bare-metal bodywork with panels finished, fitted, and leaded as required, then primed, sealed, repainted, colour-sanded, and polished. Complete mechanical rebuild with all systems overhauled and components replaced as needed. All seals and rubber trim renewed, brightwork re-plated, and interior fully reupholstered in red leather. Finished in Gunmetal Gray with black canvas hood.
Commissioned by the current owner following acquisition in 2014. The entire process was documented in photographs and on DVD, which accompanies the car.
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