Evaluation: Older restoration | Very good older paint, barely used upholstery and bright chrome. Engine compartment is clean and orderly, but there’s oil seepage on the block. Dusty but barely used chassis. Replacement crankcase from World War II-era War Department stock. Restored 1991–94 by RM Restorations, class winner at Pebble Beach in 1995. Known among Invicta owners as “Sandfly;” owned by Dean S. Edmonds, Jr., since 1982 and sparingly used.
Bottom Line: There were some 75 Invicta S-types built, of which the vast majority survive, a not surprising circumstance in view of
their “low-chassis” appearance and performance. An SS Jaguar 100 is beautiful, but the “low-chassis” Invicta is better. What’s more surprising is that we’ve seen two of them sold at auction in the past month. This one was beautifully restored, albeit with a replacement crankcase, but it brought essentially half of what Bonhams got a month ago in Paris for a peeling-original-paint,
original-driveline example. The difference is material but
attests to the appeal of originality. This carefully restored and preserved example is the better value, but the Paris car was sublime, and neither is an outlying transaction.
