LONDON CONCOURS LIFESTYLE SALE 5th June 2024

+ buyer’s premium of 12.5% plus VAT (15% incl VAT) on the first £300,000 of the hammer and 10% plus VAT (12% incl VAT) thereafter 57 Launched for 1936, the SS100 was the first real high-performance model produced by SS Cars Limited and used a new Weslake-developed overhead-valve engine in a shortened SS1 chassis. Although a fine touring car, the SS100 was marketed primarily for competition work. Its first major success came early when Tommy Wisdom won the International Alpine Trial in 1936, beating Bugatti and bringing SS to the attention of the public. This would be the first of many rallying successes, including class wins in the 1937 and 1938 RAC events. Production ceased at the start of the war with a total of just 191 2½-Litre and 118 of the later 3½-Litre cars being made. For his 16th birthday, Romanian Prince, Prince Michael asked his father King Carol II for an SS100, and the very first 3½-litre was duly delivered. Impressed by the quality upon delivery, the King subsequently ordered himself a 3½-litre SS100 as well. In May 1938, a complete SS100 chassis (#39070) with electrics and instruments, but no bodywork, was shipped to Romania by Anglo Cars. Jaguar historian, the late Andrew Whyte, is recorded as having assumed that this was a ‘spare’ chassis for Prince Michael’s car however it was actually ordered by King Carol’s mother, the Queen Mother, who purchased it for her second son, Prince Nicholas. Prince Nicholas was a motorsport enthusiast who had formed a friendship with his mechanic, established Bugatti racer Jean Calcianu. Calcianu designed an attractive aluminium body for the car and asked coachbuilders Leonida & Co to build the car to his design. We understand that #39070 remains in the same configuration as when it was built by Leonida and is remains finished in the same shade of, appropriately, Royal Blue. In the late-1930s, the political climate was becoming anti-Monarchy in a number of Eastern European countries and Prince Nicholas, concerned for the safety of his beloved SS100, asked his friend Captain Cula to hide the car for him, planning for better times. Tragically, Captain Cula was killed in a flying accident shortly afterwards, leaving the whereabouts of the Jaguar unknown to anyone apart from his wife. Mrs Cula engaged a solicitor to help sort her late husband’s affairs, and soon became romantically involved, until the relationship cooled and the solicitor had not been paid for his services. Eventually it was agreed that he would take the car and its paperwork as full settlement and the Jaguar was taken to another secret location. The next part of the story involves an influential and wealthy Bucharest car dealer who knew of the car and its important history from Calcianu and approached Mrs Cula to see if she would sell him the car, only to hear the story of her relationship and debt to her solicitor. The dealer then contacted engineer and motoring enthusiast Nicholas Mazilu, to whom he owed a favour, and arranged to meet the solicitor along with Mazilu and a member of the Security Services. The car was identified and a sale price to Mazilu was agreed. Having planned to sell it, Mazilu became enchanted with the car and used it on a regular basis. Eventually it was sold to Dr. Viorel Pop who lived in Hunedoara and that’s where the early history of #39070 appears to stop until it was offered for sale in 2000 by Philip Scott after purchasing it from a dealer in Hungary. Shortly afterwards, now registered WLD 100, it was sold at auction and in need of a major restoration. Having initially been concerned about the amount of work involved, our vendor purchased the car and commenced a painstaking, decade-long restoration with incredible attention to detail, making several visits to Romania to unearth the car’s history. A unique, coach-built example and inevitably differs from the majority of other SS100 models. The front wings are completely different to the standard car and, at the rear, the spare wheel is set into the boot lid, reminiscent of the prototype SS90 that Jaguar built in 1935. The quality of the restoration is simply exceptional and although fully restored, the engine, gearbox, axle, chassis and 90% of the body are original. The restoration was completed in 2011 and only around 1,500 miles have since been covered. The car is supplied with a fabulous history file which makes for very pleasant reading. Included in the files are a substantial number of invoices, detailed photographs of every aspect of the restoration, history sourcing and even correspondence with King Michael himself. A beautiful and historically important SS Jaguar that would be welcome at any of the world’s most prestigious motoring events and Concours d’Elegance. Completely restored to concours standard and known as the ‘Romanian Car’, this is one of six special SS100s endowed with style, performance and mystery. This is one surely not to be missed. Lot 382 1938 SS100 Jaguar 3½-Litre Roadster by Leonida & Co. ‘The Romanian Car’ Registration: WLD 100 Chassis No.: 39070 Estimate: £300,000 - £350,000 Specialist: Justin Dawkins Telephone No: 07718 140398 More Details Lot 382 Bid On Lot 382