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One of the more charming entries at H&H Classics' upcoming Pavilion Gardens sale is a car that never wore a 1932 badge in period, yet looks every inch the part. The 1932 Invicta S-Type 'Low Chassis' Evocation is Lot 80 on October 14 in Buxton, Derbyshire, with an estimate of £90,000 to £110,000.
It is a labor of love in the truest sense. The car was commissioned by the late Alastair Barker, a longtime Vintage Sports Car Club member and competitor who had a track record of commissioning tributes to iconic British sports cars, including two Lagonda V12 'Le Mans' recreations. When the chance came to acquire an Invicta "kit of parts" in the late 1990s, he jumped at it, with the goal of building his own S-Type.
The Car Being Honored
The original Invicta S-Type arrived at the October 1930 Motor Show and paired the proven 4½ Litre A-Type running gear with an all-new chassis. The 9ft 10in wheelbase ladder frame used an underslung rear axle, which dropped the center of gravity and gave the car its famously rakish stance. Flexible chrome-sheathed exhaust downpipes completed the look. Bodies came from the likes of Vanden Plas, Carbodies, Lancefield and Freestone & Webb.
It was quick, too. The "Low Chassis" took wins at Brooklands and Shelsey Walsh and topped the 1931 Monte Carlo Rally, an especially impressive result given that Donald Healey had tangled with a telegraph pole early in the event. Only about 75 S-Types were built before production ended in the mid-1930s. As H&H puts it in quoting J.R. Buckley, it was probably the best-looking vintage-tradition sports car England ever produced.
A Decade of Craftsmanship
Barker's project ran from 2002 to 2015 and is understood to have cost more than £200,000. David Ayre, the Thatcham-based WO Bentley and Lagonda specialist, modified an Invicta 1½ Litre-type chassis to accept the S-Type-style body. Ian Pitney of Pitney Restorations built that body in the traditional way, with an aluminum-panelled wooden frame, and Wessex Workshops fabricated the hood frame.
Lagonda specialist Bishopgray spent hundreds of hours on the build between 2008 and 2014, including overhauling and fitting a second Meadows 4½ Litre engine. Neil Haworth of Aldermaston handled the paint, Gary H. Wright of Milton Keynes trimmed the interior, John Yeomans Cars refurbished the steering box, gearbox and front hubs, and Creed and Shore Motorworks reconditioned the rear axle half shafts and brakes.
What the Next Owner Gets
The Evocation passed its first MOT on December 17, 2015, and is thought to have covered only about 100 miles since, so H&H notes it still needs some de-bugging and running-in. Ill health meant Barker never got to enjoy it properly, and it has remained with his family since 1997. The V5C lists registration FBK 563 as an Invicta Sports 4500cc, declared manufactured in 1932, and the car is MOT exempt. A history file with invoices, parts bills, design drawings and restoration photographs comes with it.
For anyone who loves British vintage sports cars, the appeal is obvious: the look and presence of one of England's great 1930s sports cars, built with period methods by respected marque specialists, at a fraction of what an original would command. It would sit comfortably alongside other British classics we have admired recently, like this 1957 Jaguar XK140 MC Roadster or this gold-winning 1957 Triumph TR3.
As H&H says, this is "a testament to one man's vision and perseverance." Bidding takes place October 14 at Pavilion Gardens, with telephone, commission and online options available through H&H Classics.
