1953 Jowett Javelin Deluxe

This Jowett Javelin Deluxe was first registered on 9 May 1953 by Russells Garage in Chatham and sold to a Mr Desmond Quinn of Swanley in Kent. Ownership up to May 1970 is unclear but by that time the car had moved to Hampshire with a Mr John Theobald, then in October 1974 a WJ Headon and then May 1976, AB Aldridge.

The name Aldridge surfaced again in 1990, in correspondence with the DVLA over a lost log book and a request to bring the car back on the road retaining the original registration. This might suggest that the car was tucked away for a decade or so and rediscovered by the family.

There are then three further keepers listed on new V5Cs; Mr Blow of Southampton acquiring the car in June 1991 and then Nigel Snelling-Colyer of East Sussex in February 2013. Nigel was a very active member of the Jowett Car Club, taking the Javelin to numerous shows and meets, as well as being an onsite taxi at the Goodwood Revival from 2013-2015. He was also responsible for accumulating most of the historical publications included in the document boxes that come with the car.

The latest owner, our vendor, is James Knight - a world-renowned expert on classic and collectible cars with nearly four decades of experience in the field - so he certainly knows what he’s looking at. He also owned a two-seater Healey 100 (since replaced with a 1970 Porsche 911E) but was looking for a classic car that the whole family could enjoy.

He’d had some experience with Jowetts through the club’s involvement in the Goodwood Revival, ferrying guests between the hotel, house and circuit. One year he and his family were given a very enjoyable ride in a Javelin and the enthusiastic owner/driver told them all about it.

He duly bought this Javelin at auction in September 2017 and has continued to use it, declaring it “lovely, innovative and practical” with “an individual personality”. Prepared by The Classic Motor Hub for the event, he showed the car in the ‘Lost Marques’ class at the 2020 London Concours.

He’s only selling now because he’s bought another car and, you know, one in one out!

This Javelin left post-austerity Yorkshire painted black but is now finished in a deep burgundy or maroon colour, which really suits the aerodynamic fastback shape. The panel alignment and shut lines look good, but as you get closer to the car the paintwork appears far from perfect.

There are numerous scrapes and chips all around the car, especially down the arches and sills of the offside, as well as a few areas on panel edges where it is a bit battered. There doesn’t appear to be any denting or major damage though.

The chrome brightwork isn’t too bad by comparison, there is a little microblistering in places like the door handles but the bumpers and overriders look generally in good order.

The car sits on 16-inch body-coloured steel wheels with lightly-pitted chrome hub caps. All are fitted with Austone tyres, which look nearly new and in good condition with plenty of tread.

The interior has a very period feel, with an all wooden dash - exclusive to the Deluxe, window frames and door tops. The grain on the dash top is starting to open up a little but overall the dash and instrument panel look great, with the banjo-spoke steering wheel and period radio finishing things off nicely.

The seats are upholstered in a caramel-coloured soft vinyl, which presents in a good condition with no rips or scuffs or undue creasing beyond the typical driver seat patina. The only other defects we could see are a few seams starting to open slightly.

Ever keen to demonstrate his ingenuity, the designer Gerald Palmer incorporated a picnic table into the interior, stored beneath the rear window when not needed then pegged into slots on the front seats for use. What a clever fellow!

The carpets are tidy and intact and, up above, the headlining has some patina to it and is loose-fitting but not sagging.

Under the bonnet, the engine bay is back-to-front by convention, with the engine forward of the front axles and the sculptural radiator sitting proud behind it. We know from the documentation that work was done on the fuelling system a couple of years ago and there is evidence of renewal to perishables such as coolant hoses.

As a classic car that has had a good deal of use over the last 9 years, the undersides are surprisingly clean but are showing signs of rust and corrosion on some of the structural parts that would be worth a professional inspection. The wooden floor boards look in good order though and the mechanical components appear in functional condition, if a little oily in places. The spare wheel is also housed underneath the car in a carrier that can be wound down with a wheel brace to remove it.

The rear luggage compartment is quite spacious and has a section of fitted carpet covering the floor. The paintwork in the gutters around the boot opening is a little bit rough in places.

The Javelin comes with three box files of documentation. There are old MOT certificates, invoices, previous correspondence, club newsletters, relevant magazine articles and newspaper cuttings, and copies of what must be every book, manual and technical guide ever published on the Jowett Javelin in period.

There’s even a small black and red notebook with the previous owner’s log of everything done on and with the car - including fill ups - and another notebook with signatures, names and comments from people who were presumably transported in the Javelin at the Goodwood Revival - the name Norman Dewis in particular stands out.

Recent work includes preparation for the London Concours by The Classic Motor Hub in Bibury in early summer 2020. This mostly involved replacing the battery and correcting the supply of fuel to the engine by refurbishing the fuel pump and carburettors, and replacing the fuel pipes.

The car has stood for a little while prior to consignment but a mechanic has just given the engine the once over and, having flushed the fuel tank and lines, it now starts and runs sweetly.

A box of bits also comes with the car, including a new set of chromed hub caps, hoses and other sundry original items removed from the car.

The Javelin hasn’t had a valid MOT since 2013 but has clearly been well-kept and road-going since. Even so, we think of an annual MOT as a good way of getting an independent assessment that a historic vehicle is safe for the road, should you ever need one.

One of our key criteria for representing a car on The Market is how interesting it is, regardless of whether it is valued in thousands of pounds or hundreds of thousands, and this Javelin is right up there. For it to be considered worthy of inclusion in the collection of such a well-regarded expert on classic cars speaks volumes about its ambitious and innovative visual design and engineering.

If you’re wondering what the Javelin is like to drive, this is how the vendor describes the experience: “The car is a delight to drive and it engenders so much goodwill from motorists and passers by.” He also notes, “You need every one of those fifty horses… but speed is secondary, ambling along the local roads, four up, and using the column gear-change like a ship’s telegraph on the way to the pub for Sunday lunch, there’s nothing to beat it.”

You would be forgiven for thinking that such an innovative and beautiful but eminently usable classic car - “Bradford’s finest export” - would have a price tag to match, but such is the market for the relatively obscure Jowett Javelin - even one with such provenance - that we think this example will sell for somewhere between £3,000 and £6,000.

Surely a bargain if ever there was one, and even more so as this collector’s car is offered for sale with NO RESERVE.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; we are open weekdays 9am-5pm, to arrange an appointment please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.