car-catcher-ss-jaguar-100-owned-same-family-40-years

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Before there was Jaguar, there was Swallow Sidecar. Founded in the early 1920s, the company started out building—you guessed it—motorcycle sidecars. Before long, the company was also dabbling in coach building, and eventually changed its name to SS Cars in the earlier half of the 1930s.

In 1935, the company debuted its Jaguar range, starting with the Jaguar 90. However, production would halt in 1940, and when the company reconvened in 1945, it decided to rename itselves Jaguar.

This 1938 SS Jaguar 100 3½, billed as the most powerful version available from SS, is reported to be one of only 118 examples built.

Finished in gunmetal over a red interior, this 100 3½ was one owned by the Keno family—known for their antique business and participation as judges at Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance—for 40 years. During that time, the car participated in the 1998 Louis Vuitton China Run, a 1000-mile tour of China.

Powering this SS is a 125-horsepower, 3.5-liter inline-six that, when new, was said to be able to launch the car from a standstill to 60 mph in roughly 11 seconds, and could keep accelerating to a top speed of 100 mph (hence the car’s “100” designation). All of that could be had for 445 Pound Sterling (about $600) when it was first sold. In today’s money, that’s roughly 30,200 Pound Sterling (about $40,700).

Find this 1938 SS Jaguar 100 3½ going across the block at RM Sotheby’s upcoming Arizona Auction.