1933 Jaguar SS1 2½-Litre Open Tourer

• Fitted with its matching-numbers engine
• Extensive history file spanning the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Germany
• TÜV Historic certification completed with no recorded defects
• Extensive specialist maintenance invoices
• Beautifully presented in burgundy red with tan leather upholstery
• One of the most important surviving pre-war predecessors of the Jaguar marque

One of the earliest and most charismatic automobiles of the lineage that would ultimately become Jaguar, this well documented 1933 SS1 Open Tourer represents the formative years of Sir William Lyons' vision for sporting motor cars. Produced by the Swallow Coachbuilding Company - renamed SS Cars Ltd in 1934 and ultimately Jaguar Cars Ltd in 1945 - the elegant SS1 established the design philosophy that would define Jaguar for decades to come.

The four-seat open tourer was added to the range for 1933, benefiting from a substantially revised chassis, lower roofline, sweeping front wings and the improved proportions that Lyons had originally envisioned. These changes transformed the SS1 into one of the most striking sporting cars of the pre-war era. Contemporary records indicate that only 143 Tourers were produced during the 1933 model year; surviving examples are exceptionally rare today.

Chassis '136699', was completed on 14th June 1933 and dispatched from the factory on 1st August 1933 to Henlys Ltd, London. The SS1 was retailed to Brutons Garages Ltd, London W1 and sold to it ts first owner Hugh G Cole, a journalist working on the Daily Express newspaper.

Accompanying the car is an official JDHT Certificate confirming matching chassis and engine numbers and recoding the original colour scheme as black with brown trim. The extensive history file further reveals an unusually well-documented provenance spanning several countries over many decades. Historic registration documents indicate ownership in New Zealand before the car later returned to Europe. A UK MoT certificate from 2006 is on file, while subsequent German registration documents show the car being registered in Germany in 2017.

Importantly, the file contains a TüV Historic Vehicle inspection completed in June 2017 when the car was awarded Historic status without any detectable defects ('Ohne erkennbare Mängel'). The accompanying evaluation confirms that the car retains its original specification throughout: chassis, engine, transmission, steering, braking system, electrical equipment and interior.

The history dossier is equally impressive from a maintenance perspective; included are invoices from respected Historic vehicle workshop, Joachim Ryschka, documenting extensive mechanical works. These include rebuilding the gearbox; clutch and transmission work; cylinder head overhaul; valve seat machining; cooling system servicing; brake switch replacement; fresh fluids and tyres; and numerous ancillary mechanical improvements, all of which evidences long-term ownership committed to careful preservation rather than cosmetic refurbishment. Rarely does an SS1 emerge with such comprehensive documentation; matching numbers; known early ownership; official Jaguar Heritage certification; and decades of continuous history.