1939 Jaguar SS100 Saoutchik

History of the Vehicle

This SS100 is considered unique because, early in its life, it came into the hands of the legendary coachbuilder Jacques Saoutchik, who gave the sports car a new body. The car’s unique history and Saoutchik’s modifications have had a profoundly positive impact on it.

The story of the Jaguar begins on March 18, 1939, amidst the turbulent history of Europe, as the continent stood on the brink of World War II. It was delivered to Poland to Imperial Count Alexander von Hochberg, Prince of Pless, Baron of Fürstenstein, becoming part of a drama of love, flight, and driving. This is documented in a handwritten diary kept by the prince himself.

The Jaguar’s owner did not have much time to enjoy it in his homeland. On September 1, 1939, Poland was invaded, and on September 5, Alexander von Hochberg fled westward with his wife and his Jaguar. He noted in his diary: “We took soil from Poland with us. The journey takes us through Hungary and Italy; Paris is our destination.” The open-top Jaguar SS100 is not the best mode of transport for two people who must leave their past behind and set off into an uncertain future.

After a series of twists and turns, the Jaguar ends up in Paris, where the legendary coachbuilder
Jacques Saoutchik makes a few modifications that give it an even more elegant & flowing appearance. The flared fenders lend the car an incredibly intense sense of speed.

In early 1940, the Jaguar ended up in Spain, where it was, however, hardly ever driven. The Jaguar with its “streamlined aluminum body” was eventually sold to a Frankfurt fur dealer in the 1960s. The price, as the book notes, was unusual: a fur coat.

The new owner hardly ever drove the Jaguar, and the car was in danger of falling into oblivion. After the last owner sold the vehicle after more than 30 years, the SS100 finally ended up in the hands of the current owner of the “Oldtimer Galerie Laufenburg.” There, it underwent an extensive restoration taking over 5,000 hours and was returned to its perfect original condition. Thanks to the idealistic car enthusiast Jürgen Strasser and the meticulous work of Dönni Classics, we can once again admire the Jaguar SS100 in all its glory today.

Incidentally, the SS100 was the first vehicle to bear the Jaguar name. After World War II, the name “SS” had negative connotations due to its association with the Nazis, which is why the British manufacturer changed it to Jaguar. The “100” stood for the ambitious 100 mph (160 km/h) that the two-seater roadster could accelerate to. The 3.5-liter six-cylinder engine produces 125 hp and, in the hands of a spirited driver, goes from zero to 60 mph (100 km/h) in 10.9 seconds

— a truly impressive vehicle