Classic 1948 Jaguar Owned by Deputy Chairman of Jaguar Cars Reunited with Family

A classic 1948 Jaguar sports saloon, first owned by Arthur Whittaker, the Deputy Chairman of Jaguar Cars, has been reunited with his family 67 years after he parted with it.

1948 Jaguar MkIV

During Historics at Brooklands classic car auction in Surrey on Saturday, 4th March, Whittaker’s four granddaughters – Lucy, Sally, Sarah, and Charlotte – who discovered the car’s impending sale purely by chance a fortnight earlier – fought off rival bidders to make it their own, settling on £70,000 for the jet-black classic.

“Once we discovered grandad’s Jaguar was for sale, we just had to go and see it”, said Sally. “We had no intention of buying it, but sitting in it before the sale brought back so many fond memories of family outings in his cars that we decided we just had to bid for it,” she continued.

“We’d never bought a thing at auction before, but were determined to take it home if we could afford to,” added her sister Lucy.  “It was all a bit of a whirlwind and suddenly, the hammer came down and it was ours.”

Arthur Whittaker's Jaguar and (LtoR), granddaughters Lucy, Sally and Charlotte
Arthur Whittaker’s Jaguar and (LtoR), granddaughters Lucy, Sally and Charlotte

After Whittaker parted with the car in 1950, it passed through the hands of a number of owners before a complete, meticulous restoration started in 1982 by the owner of the day. Twenty-two years later the car was finally completed, latterly by classic Jaguar specialist, David Davenport, returning it to its spectacular condition that remains today.

A supreme tourer in its day, Whittaker’s car was one of the last to be produced.  It was specially trimmed in pigskin hide, complementing the stately burr walnut dashboard and fittings, and left the Brown’s Lane production line complete with a rare sunroof.

Powered by a silky smooth 3.5 litre six-cylinder engine, the Jaguar Mk IV is revered for its graceful lines and magnificent presence, dominated by huge dinner plate headlamps flanking the imposing chrome radiator.

1948 Jaguar MkIV 5

Will it become a museum piece?…Not if Whittaker’s granddaughters have their way.  “It’s just too lovely to leave locked away. The plan is to share enjoyment of the car amongst all our families, including grandad’s seven great-grandchildren.  I’m sure that’s what he would have wanted too.  All we need now is the picnic hamper and a bit of sun!”

Note: This article courtesy of Michael Hodges at Historics at Brooklands.

Staff

6 Comments

  1. Lovely story. Is there a photo essay on the car or its restoration? It would be nice to see a lot more pictures.

  2. Awesome, awesome. More cars of such interest should be so sort and held as such. Triumph’s, M.G.’s, Austin’s, Sunbeam’s just a few to be condsidered

  3. Rarely does one come across such lovely report from top end historic auctions….congratulations to the resourcesful granddaughters!! Well done!

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