2015-04-30 15:21:05 | Reno writes:

Another leaping cat, a 1958 XK150 3.4-Liter Roadster that for many years was Howard's daily driver, is also being sold.

Car will be offer at bonhams: www.bonhams.com/auctions/22717/preview_lot/4833598/

Auction description:

As verified by Jaguar Daimler Heritage, Geoffrey Howard's post-war Jaguar was a rare original delivery to Canada, being distributed through Jaguar of Eastern Canada in Montreal. From new the car wore the extremely attractive and desirable scheme of black paintwork with a red leather interior and black softtop and, as its chassis number suggests, it was to left hand drive manual configuration with overdrive. Its original date of dispatch was May 23, 1958.

On file is Mr. Howard's official Quebec sales tax receipt dated in 1970, suggesting that this was when he acquired the car some 45 years ago. In addition, a rather charming set of photographs, some of which are illustrated, depict the car in the early days of his ownership.

At some point, the XK150 was retired from the road and in 1995, the car was imported to the U.S. to be domiciled at Mr. Howard's Mill premises in Enosburg Falls, Vermont. It would spend the next two decades there, alongside his other Jaguars.

By its latter days, clearly after extensive and much enjoyed winter use in the unforgiving Quebec climate, the XK was somewhat worse for wear cosmetically. Unperturbed by adding this to his list of projects, its owner began to restore the XK also, taking its interior, dash and top out and starting to attend to the bodywork. With replacement in mind, Mr. Howard acquired a variety of necessary sheet metal components, including a new trunk and sills which go with the car. As far as can be assessed, its engine and running gear appear to have been untouched.

With its simple uncomplicated history, and as one of the more desirable specifications for the model with some of the required parts already purchased, this would seem to represent an ideal and straightforward restoration for its next owner.

When collected from Mr. Howard's garage, all evident boxes and parts annotated as being for this car were removed and every effort has been made by Bonhams to ensure that they accompany it. However, ultimately beyond the fact that the XK150 was acquired as a complete car and then dismantled for restoration and remained in his ownership continuously, it is up to prospective purchasers to assess the completeness of the car as offered.

Sold for US$ 39,600 inc. premium