2010-12-22 05:54:57 | Lofty writes:

Was at auction at Bonhams:

www.bonhams.com/cgi-bin/public.sh/pubweb/publicSite.r

Lot No: 124
1937 Jaguar SS100 2½-Litre Roadster
Chassis no. 18076
Engine no. 251308
Colour: Black

Cylinders: 6; 2,663cc
Gears: 4 + reverse
Power: 104bhp
Produced: 1936-1939
Production: 198 (2½-Litre model)

Catalog reads in part:

"Chassis number ‘18076’ was first registered ‘BWX 32’ (a Yorkshire West Riding mark) on 25th March 1937 to the Jaguar distributor, Glovers of Ripon. Finished in Grey Metallic with Special Silver interior, it was purchased by one Cecil Maddison, of Middlesbrough on 12th April 1937. Ownership was transferred on 9th June 1939 to Guy Alfreds & Co, of Tottenham Court Road, London, who subsequently sold the car Mrs May Vince, of Whetstone sometime during the same year. After 15 years of the Vinces’ ownership, ‘BWX 32’ was transferred to Richard Zimbler, a known collector, residing in Hockliffe near to Leighton Buzzard in Buckinghamshire. In November 1956 ownership passed to Gordon Thomas Tripp, of RAF Cranwell and Sanderstead, Surrey and thence to Chiltern Cars, back in Leighton Buzzard.

Advertised in the May 1958 edition of Motor Sport magazine by Chiltern Cars as ‘unusually sound mechanically and generally attractive in appearance’, ‘BWX 32’ was subsequently enjoyed by two further owners: Derek Francis Ogden, of Sutton Coldfield, Warwickshire and George Linney, of Rotherham, Yorkshire. At around this time the original engine ‘252607’ was replaced by the current unit ‘251308’, the change being recorded in the old-style logbook. In September 1959 the car was exported to the USA by one C P Brooks, an automobile engineer of Orpington in Kent.

Since arriving in the USA, ‘BWX 32’ has remained for the past 48 years in the same family ownership, firstly with Robert Stokes, an inventor from Vermont who regularly entered the Mount Equinox Hill Climb, well known as the longest paved hill climb in the world, and subsequently with his niece, Consuelo Dodge, of Starke, Florida who inherited the car from her uncle in mid-1984. While in the vendors’ care a limited amount of refurbishment has been undertaken (pictures of which are on file) but essentially the car represents a most exciting opportunity to restore a fine British post-Vintage thoroughbred to its former glory.

The accompanying history file contains numerous copies of original documents retained by the Wakefield Archive, including the original and continuation logbooks; several registration application forms; notifications of ownership changes; and Chiltern Cars’ advertisement in Motor Sport, May 1958. Also on file are period colour photographs of the car in the USA showing it in white livery and on Vermont plates ‘R.1936’, while other more recent ones show it partially dismantled and undergoing refurbishment. In addition the car come with State of Florida Certificate of Title and correspondence confirming original build and colour scheme details."