Back in 1955, the UK was finally recovering from the destruction of World War II. Winston Churchill finished his run as Prime Minister, unemployment was low, the first Guinness Book of World Records was published, and Stirling Moss was the first Brit to win the British Grand Prix.BonhamsMeanwhile, Michael Turner, a British illustrator who specialized in motoring and aviation paintings, bought a Jaguar. Technically, it wasn't actually a Jaguar yet. It was a 1939 SS Jaguar 100, predating the company name change to Jaguar. And Turner didn't get it to keep as a garage queen. He started by using it as daily transport as well as entering races at UK tracks. And before you know it, years went by. Then more years passed, decades even.Turner owned this 1939 Jaguar for just over 70 years. Only in death was he parted from it, after which it was sold for a pretty penny at auction. This is a car that definitely deserves some special attention. A Historically Cool Car Back in 1939, Jaguar was still called SS Cars, because those two letters put together didn't hold any negative connotations on a global scale yet. Thankfully, the name Jaguar had been used as a model name since 1935, allowing the company to transition smoothly to a new identity. The SS100 Jaguar was the first to feature the now-iconic leaping Jaguar motif, appearing as a hood mascot.The 100 in the SS100 Jaguar's name came from the car's projected top speed of 100 mph, but it would be a brave person who tried to get the convertible up that high. Its tires were all of five and a half inches wide, the frame was made of wood, and it had a wheelbase of just nine feet. The SS100 Jaguar's initial engine was a 2.5-liter straight-six, but grew to 3.5 liters in 1938, with twin carburetors and a new cylinder head leading to an output of 125 horsepower.Bonhams CarsWhat makes this example's long ownership and, indeed, survival, particularly special is that only 116 of the 3.5-liter models were built, joining just 198 of the 2.5-liter models produced. The SS Jaguar 100 was marketed as a car to be raced, so despite the small number built, it was a desirable car in its day and went on to become an icon in its own right. As a result, there have been several companies building replicas since the 1960s. Some of the early replicas are even worth good money now. Historically Cool, Well Loved, And Enjoyed Bonhams Cars According to Goodwood Road & Racing, Goodwood being one of the places where the SS 100 Jaguar was driven by Turner competitively: "For his first half-decade with the car, he used it as daily transport before moving on to more sensible regular transport in the form of an Austin A40." It was featured in magazines and a regular sight at motoring events over the decades.Early on, Turner "adapted the car with cycle wings for improved performance," but it was reverted back to featuring the original long, flowing wings during a restoration in the late 1990s. That same restoration included new blue paint and replacing sections of the ash wood frame.Turner passed away in December 2025 at the age of 91. His beloved SS 100 Jaguar, having been maintained and restored over the decades, was recently sold at auction by Bonhams Cars for a whopping £218,500. That translates to just under $300,000, but as far as we're concerned, the car and its heartwarming story are priceless.