1930 Invicta S-Type 'Scimitar' 4 1/2 Low Chassis

Founded by Captain Noel Macklin in 1924, The Invicta Car Company produced a number of high quality sporting cars, the most famous of which was the Low Chassis S-Type. Launched at the 1930 Motor Show held at Olympia, the S-Type was powered by the 4.5-litre Meadows six-cylinder engine mounted in an "underslung" chassis that achieved a much lower centre of gravity by locating the axles running above the frame instead of below as was normal practice at the time. The Meadows engine had an abundance of torque and was capable of propelling the S-Type to speeds in excess of 90mph. Naturally the Low Chassis S-Type found itself involved in racing, with the likes of Donald Healey winning the 1931 Monte Carlo Rally at the wheel of one and Raymond Mays drove a similar car to set new lap records at the banked Brooklands circuit in 1931 and again in 1932. With a change in fortunes in the early 1930s, Invicta began to struggle against rising costs and falling sales, the final car leaving the factory - appropriately enough - on Friday the 13th of October, 1933. Just 77 Low Chassis S-Types were built but have a high survival rate, indicative of the fact these have always been regarded as high quality motor cars, and at last count some 68 were recorded as surviving. There was even a pre-war club dedicated exclusively to the model and members famously christened individual cars with names like 'Scythe', 'Scrapper' and 'Searaider'. The Low Chassis Invicta S-Type is now regarded as one of the most desirable pre-war sports cars, sought out by collectors for its exceptional driving abilities, style and sheer presence. A guaranteed entry at the most prestigious rallies, concours and race meets around the world, the Low Chassis has an enviable reputation amongst connoisseurs and examples are to be found in some of the most important private collections.