LONG-TERM LEGENDS

These two SS100 Jaguars have been in the hands of well-known and dedicated enthusiasts for five decades and more. Chris Mann divulges their entertaining histories 

- Chris Mann

Jaguar built its legend through competition success and the production of elegant high-performance cars that also offered incredible value for money. The business was established as the Swallow Sidecar Company in Blackpool, 1922, by William (later Sir William) Lyons and William Walmsley. Gradually it branched out into the production of stylish bodywork for mass-produced chassis such as the Austin Seven, aimed at buyers on a budget who wanted something a little more exotic.

Lyons was ambitious, though, keen to become a car manufacturer in his own right. In 1934, and without Walmsley, he launched a new range of cars with the style and performance of contemporary Bentleys but much more affordable. They were marketed as SS Jaguars - the first use of the Jaguar name. After World War Two, Lyons prudently rebranded as Jaguar Cars Ltd, a move made viable by the striking two-seater sports car that put the name on the map: the SS100 Jaguar.

And here are two that have been in long-term ownership: DTF 28 (chassis 39075) bought in 1955 by the thenbudding illustrator Michael Turner (see Octane 132), and ABA 855 (chassis 39082), given by an indulgent mother to then-student John Guyatt for his 21st birthday in 1967. Both are the later 3.5-litre versions (it was launched as a 2.5), dating from 1939, genuine 100mph cars of which only 116 were built.

Today we know Michael Turner as the revered aviation and motorsport artist. His first car, an Austin Seven special, was followed by a six-cylinder 1271cc MG F-type Magna. By the mid-1950s, having turned 21, he was looking for something faster and spied an advertisement for an SS100 Jaguar after combing through the small ads in Motor Sport.