Restoration of a Jaguar SS 100 in 1957
Restoration reports and stories are commonplace today; classic car magazines are full of them. More than 50 years ago, however, restoring cars was not yet "en vogue" and the circumstances were much more complicated and the project more time-consuming. Automobil-Revue No. 8 from February 27, 1957reported on the restoration of a Jaguar SS-100.
The following paragraph testifies to the challenges:
"... It was not easy to restore this vehicle, which had fallen into disrepair in Geneva, to even a reasonably usable condition, because practically all the individual parts were missing, and it was only thanks to chance that a replacement engine could be found. The wing nuts of the spoked wheels, for example, had to be "turned from the solid"; the two car enthusiasts did not miss the opportunity to send the finished pieces to the factory to have the Jaguar mark stamped on them. Incidentally, the factories in Coventry were very friendly towards the project and sent drawings of the dashboard, among other things, so that one could be produced. .. "
The following comment is also nice to read:
" ... Time passes quickly, and many sports enthusiasts who today drive around in their sleek coupes in a cozy, well-heated atmosphere have never even sat in such a car, let alone experienced it. It is therefore all the more gratifying that there are still young people who own ultra-modern vehicles, such as a Porsche Spider, and still enjoy vehicles that are already a thing of the past in our fast-moving times, even though their birthday was only 20 years ago. .. "
Today, we are used to spare parts being widely available, ordered online and delivered to our homes. We also have an almost inexhaustible repertoire of information available to us in the form of books, magazines and the Internet. In 1957, things were quite different. No wonder, for example, the body shape, with special mudguards without a running board, gave food for thought.
Finally, a small excerpt on the subject of driving:
"... You quickly get used to the gearbox; it has to be operated with intermediate clutches when shifting up and of course requires precisely dosed intermediate throttle when shifting down ..."
