12 of the world’s rarest Jaguars are up for sale

Dear reader, here lies before you a collection of classic Jaguars that will make you weak at the knees. And the best part? They are all currently up for sale.

The group is made up of 12 different cars, among which are some of the rarest and most valuable Jags ever committed to metal (the one above is particularly special). The seller is Dr Christian Jenny, who unsurprisingly regards this as his automotive life’s work and has even had a book published about the collection.

Each car is currently located in Switzerland, having been maintained and stored in a dedicated underground garage. Who thinks the new owners should get them out and on the road?

Click through our gallery here for a look at each car individually. Although, as is usually the case, if you have to ask the price you almost certainly can’t afford them.

This actual car for sale, chassis number 248436, was the first ever sports car produced by Jaguar – although it bears the name of William Lyons’ company Swallow Sidecar, which eventually became Jag in 1945.

It’s 2.6-litre straight-six would fire the car to a frankly preposterous 90mph, and after its original unveiling it was acquired by Wing Commander Hugh Kennard in 1937. Incidentally, Kennard was the first ever pilot to fly an RAF Spitfire and used this as his daily driver throughout WW2.

After being restored in the 1990s, the car appeared in concours at Pebble Beach and Villa d’Este before being driven and enjoyed in Switzerland by Dr Jenny – does car history get any better than this?

Whereas the previous slide showcased the first ever sports car from Jag – this was the second, and the first to be delivered to a customer. The incredible name comes from that first owner too – one Captain John Black of the Standard Motor Company. 

This meticulously restored SS 100 is a 2004 Pebble Beach award winner and was sold new to Swiss Olympic bobsleigh champion Hans Aichele in 1937.

Not content at having the one SS 100 in his collection, Dr Jenny also had this 3.5-litre version of the same car. Nope, we still don’t know why he’s selling either.

The XK120 is perhaps the most beautiful car in Jaguar’s impressive back catalogue. As one of the early aluminium-bodied cars before the switch to steel, this particular example was the first Jag to compete in races on mainland Europe after WW2.

This from one year later is a steel-bodied XK120 roadster. Check out those body-coloured steel wheels too. Oof.

If you’re looking for a bargain from the collection*, this XK140 is described as ‘the workhorse’. With engine and brake upgrades as well as period bucket seats, it has been extensively used in historic rallies up until now. 

*It almost certainly won’t be a bargain, sorry.

This left-hand drive, 3.8-litre XK150 S is one of only 13 ever produced in the same spec. In 1960, it was supplied new to Beirut, Lebanon before spending time in Arizona and then eventually ending up in Switzerland.

No Jag collection would be complete without an E-Type, and this could be the most coveted example ever to come up for sale. 

The car you see above was the first ever E-Type to be seen in public after its covers were pulled off in Le Gastronomic du Parc des Eaux Vives – a restaurant on the south-western shore of Lake Geneva – where members of the press and VIP guests witnessed a huge moment in Jaguar’s history.

To complement that stunning coupe is this Series 1 E-Type roadster. The current owner bought it sight unseen from a dealer in Florida and was apparently told to expect a car that was 98 per cent perfect, although what he received was “85 per cent at best”. We doubt he’s too worried about that now.

Last but certainly not least is this V12 Series 3, which unlike much of the collection is completely original and has never been restored. Bought by Jenny in 1978, this is the car that started his Jag collection – we have plenty to thank it for then.