One of the world’s leading collectors of Jaguar and pre-war SS sports cars is offering 12 of his rare and historically significant vehicles for sale, including the British automaker’s first sports car prototype, the 1935 SS 90.
From the collection of Christian Jenny of Switzerland, the cars are being marketed by Pendine Historic Cars, a UK specialist in vintage sports and racing cars. The cars, which the seller says are each in “exquisite” condition, are being sold individually and represent some of the most valuable examples of the marque, which changed its name from SS to Jaguar after World War II.
Besides the one-of-a-kind prototype SS 90 – from which launched the generations of Jaguar sports cars – the Jaguar Sports Car Collection includes the so-called “lost” 1952 Jaguar C-Type race car, which resurfaced in 1997, and the first E-Type to be introduced to the public, unveiled at the 1961 Geneva Motor Show.
The E-Type, or XK-E, coupe is a hand-built prototype considered to be among the most-important of non-competition Jaguars.
The C-Type is an immensely significant car, having been the only one of the 53 examples unaccounted for between the late 196os until it was found in 1997, fitted with a Devin fiberglass body in place of the original.
“This is without a doubt one of the most impressive and important collections of Jaguars in the world,” James Mitchell, founder of Pendine, said in a news release. “Each car in the collection represents a key milestone through the marque’s early history.
“Not only have some of these incredible cars played important roles in automotive cultural history, but they are also among the best examples in the world.”
Renowned Jaguar restorer and historian Terry Larson of Mesa, Arizona, who completed the restoration of the SS 90, said he was especially gratified to have brought back to life such an important piece of Jaguar history.
“Not only is the SS 90 Prototype a stunningly beautiful car, it also played a pivotal role in Jaguar’s history,” Larson said. “It turned a company from a saloon manufacturing company into a sports car company.
“The restoration of the SS 90 Prototype was the most challenging and most rewarding restoration of my career. I will always have a soft spot in my heart for this car!”
Larson also was instrumental in the resurfacing of the missing C-Type, revealing the correct chassis hidden under the custom body and restoring the race car to its original specifications.
Jenny, a medical doctor, has been a devoted Jaguar collector since the 1970s when he became enamored with the marque, according to the news release, and his collection “spans the most-definitive period of the company’s development.”
“So significant is the collection, a hardback book titled The Jaguar Sports Car Collection; A Personal Endeavour, which tells the story of each individual car, was published in 2014,” Pendine says in the release.
Also in the Jenny collection is a subsequent 1935 SS 90, a 1937 SS 100 2.2 litre, 1938 SS 100 3.5 litre, 1950 XK120 Alloy, 1950 XK120 roadster, 1955 XK140 roadster, 1960 XK150 3.8S roadster, a 1961 E-Type roadster and a 1972 E-Type V12 roadster.
“Each car in the collection, currently located in Switzerland, has been meticulously maintained and stored in a dedicated subterranean garage,” the release says.
For more information about the cars for sale, visit the Pendine website.
