By Dean Larson

Photos: Seller, BringaTrailer.com

Beauty, rarity and significance — the SS Jaguar 100 has all these features to its credit, not to mention being a competent performer with a theoretical top end of 100 mph. This open-air English two-seater marked the birth of the Jaguar namesake and is widely considered to be one of the most aesthetically pleasing cars built in the 1930s. SS100 re-creations are quite common on the market, especially those based on VW air-cooled donors, but it’s far less common to find front-engine replicas. This SS100 re-creation on BringaTrailer.com is a wonderful mix of period styling, era-correct details and legit Jaguar 4.2-liter performance.

While most know it as the Jaguar SS100, the car was actually introduced as the SS Jaguar 100 by SS Cars Ltd. Born from the Swallow Sidecar Company in 1934, SS Cars built a handful of small and large car models, including the SS Jaguar 100, before electing to change the company name in 1945. Shareholders agreed to make the switch to Jaguar Cars Limited, and Chairman William Lyons remarked that the new name was distinctive and wouldn’t be confused with any similar foreign names. In addition to pioneering the Jaguar namesake, the SS100 was also the first model to wear Jaguar’s distinctive “leaper” hood ornament.

The SS100 was made in limited numbers from 1936 to 1939 in 2.5 and 3.5-liter versions. Weighing right around 2,600 pounds, the cars were capable performers with the 3.5-liter car hitting the magic 100 mph mark in a 1937 Autocar magazine test. For their spirited performance, elegant looks and huge significance to Jaguar history, the SS100 is one of the most valuable English cars ever built with values occasionally hitting seven figures.

On that end of the spectrum you have six-figure collectables, or you can find air-cooled VW replicas all day for less than $10,000. But you’re not spoiled for options in the middle, which makes this Suffolk Sportscars SS100 an enticing buy. It features fiberglass bodywork, ensuring that the price will stay reasonable, but you also get more period-correct performance with the use of a Jaguar XK driveline. This particular car is powered by a 4.2-liter XK with a Jag “short box” four-speed transmission and Laycock electric overdrive. The chassis is a ladder-style unit with four-wheel disc brakes and (what appears to be) a Jaguar IRS. Enhancing the vintage motoring experience are period accessories like the Lucas lights, Brooklands-style windscreens, Blockley bias-ply tires and a compliment of weather gear.

A left-hand drive example recently imported from the U.K., this Suffolk Sportscars SS100 appears to be a great running and driving classic that can actually be enjoyed on the street. The current high bid is $33,000 here on BringaTrailer.com with six days remaining in the sale.