1939 SS Jaguar Saloon Among Classic Cars At Celebration Of Automobiles
May 12, 2011 | By
One of the terrific new events commemorating the centennial of the Indianapolis 500 this year is the 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500 Celebration of Automobiles – a “beauty pageant” for more than 250 classic automobiles of any make or manufacturer from the first 50 years of the Indianapolis 500, 1911 through 1961.
The cars are divided into two divisions, one a general collection of cars from 1911-1961, and the other classic cars produced by the 24 manufactures that competed in the first Indianapolis 500 in 1911. Class winners will be honored on May 14 after judging by a panel led by 1963 Indianapolis 500 winner Parnelli Jones.
Below is a description of a very unique car that will be on display during the Celebration of Automobiles: the 1939 SS Jaguar Saloon.
1939 SS Jaguar Saloon
This special 1939 SS Jaguar Saloon was originally gifted to Queen Elizabeth, the wife of King George VI, as a birthday present. Legend has it that the second owner of the car was former Prime Minister Winston Churchill, who received it as a gift from Queen Elizabeth after his family’s country home and garage was destroyed during World War II.
Since 1983, the car has been owned by Philip Taxman of St. Louis, who did a full restoration of the car in 2000 and taken the car all over the country to showcase its beauty. The 1939 SS Jaguar has won awards in the Classic Car Club of America (CCCA) and Jaguar Clubs of North America competitions. In 2009, Taxman and the car participated in a 1,000 mile CCCA Caravan that traveled through Missouri, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee and Arkansas.
The 1939 SS Jaguar last appeared at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 1987 for a CCA event where it was driven around the track.
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2011 Indianapolis 500 tickets: Tickets are on sale for the 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500, “The Most Important Race in History,” on Sunday, May 29, 2011 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Race Day ticket prices start at just $30. Fans can buy tickets online at www.imstix.com, by calling the IMS ticket office at (317) 492-6700, or (800) 822-INDY outside the Indianapolis area, or by visiting the ticket office at the IMS Administration Building at the corner of Georgetown Road and 16th Street between 8 a.m.-5 p.m. (ET) Monday-Friday.
Children 12 and under will be receive free general admission to any IMS event in 2011 when accompanied by an adult general admission ticket holder.
Tickets for groups of 20 or more also are on sale. Contact the IMS Group Sales Department at (866) 221-8775 for more information.