A Rare Vintage Original Jaguar Leaper Mascot Chrome Ashtray c.1950s or 1960s

PRE CHRISTMAS SALE - 25% OFF In General A stunning rare vintage original Jaguar car leaper mascot chrome ashtray c.1950s or 1960s. During the 1950s and 1960s, Jaguar provided their dealerships with beautiful and substantial chrome ashtrays of which this is one.  These ashtrays were not made available to the public we think. The main feature was the car leaper mascot that was the same as used on the cars. The "7/10091/1 WBB" number on the base of the leaper on our ashtray is a casting number that identifies the manufacturer as Wilmot Breeden who made the car leaper mascots for Jaguar to go on their cars. This specific number car leaper mascot was used on the Mk 1, Mk 2, Mk VIII, Mk IX, S-type, 240, 340, and XK 150 models from 1955 to 1969. A slightly smaller leaper was provided between 1961 and 1970 on the large Mark Ten. The leapers were not provided as standard on the sports models because of their aerodynamic inefficiency although they were available as an optional extra except on the E Type. Jaguars were immediately recognisable by their distinctive car leaper bonnet mascot designed by the illustrator Gordon Crosby and used in three forms from 1938 to 1970 with a break between 1951 and 1955. The photographs show a 1959 American registered Jaguar Mark IX with this car leaper mascot on this ashtray atop the bonnet. This is a wonderful opportunity to have a genuine memento of this remarkable make from one of its golden periods. About Jaguar Jaguar is one of the great names of British motoring.  With a glittering history.  The business started by the then William Lyons (later Sir William) and his partner William Walmsley in 1922 in Blackpool (they started with sidecars) grew into a world leading car manufacturer whose cars not only provided luxury motoring for generations of people but also a world beating racing heritage. Jaguar’s famous ability to make exceptional cars at prices vastly less than the opposition did not stop them having their own prestige – a rare trick in the car business where prestige is usually directly linked to purchase price. Cars like the E type Jaguar (famously (if not certainly) referred to by no less a luminary than Enzo Ferrari as “the most beautiful car in the world”), the Mark 2 (known as the Morse Jag) and later the world class XJ6 and XJ12 saloons created a mystique for this most British of marques.  Like Rolls-Royce and Bentley, Jaguar is quintessentially British but popular the world over and liked especially by Americans who consider it a European thoroughbred. Part of this mystique was created by Jaguar’s domination of Le Mans in the 1950s - taking 1st place in 1951, 1st, 2nd and 4th in 1953, 1st and 3rd in 1955, 1st and 4th in 1956 and no less than the top four places in 1957.  They then withdrew from racing.  Jaguar managed this amazing feat using a racing version of their famous inline 6 cylinder XK engine which featured a cast iron block with an aluminium cylinder head, twin overhead camshafts and hemispherical combustion chambers.  Yes – a British Hemi!  This exceptional engine was also used in their passenger cars and remained in production between 1948 and 1992 – an extremely long period for a production engine. Jaguar dealerships Jaguar dealerships were for many people a place of dreams.  A well-known advertisement from the 1970s encapsulated this completely. One of the most famous dealerships was Coombs Jaguar on the Portsmouth Road at St Catherine’s Guildford as shown in the attached picture. Coombs Jaguar was an upmarket Jaguar and Daimler dealership created in 1947 by John Coombs from the garage he inherited from this Father.  John Coombs was a British racing driver who tuned various Jaguar models including the E Type and Mark 2.  These were raced very successfully by among others Graham Hill, Stirling Moss, Bruce McLaren, Jack Brabham and Colin Chapman of Lotus in the 1950s and 1960s.  Here is a Coombs Jaguar with Roy Salvadori at the wheel back in May 1961 – the year of the E Type’s introduction and its first win – and we believe its first major race outing. Year 1950s or 1960s Signed and Dated Stamped  on the underside "7/10091/1 WBB" number on the base of the leaper on our ashtray is a casting number that identifies the manufacturer as Wilmot Breeden who made the car leaper mascots for Jaguar to go on their cars. Material Chrome Condition The ashtray has survived very well indeed and is in extremely good condition. There are some faint/ light polishing marks. The base is covered in green felt and there are two brown marks on the felt.  Otherwise the ashtray is in excellent condition with no breakages or restoration. Dimensions ( L x W x H ) Diameter - 7 cm or 2.75 inches Height - 13 cm or 5.11 inches Weight Heavy! - 2.56 kg Shipping We use trusted couriers in the UK and across the World.  We tend to use Royal Mail Special Delivery and Parcelforce 48 in the UK and Transglobal, DHL, Fedex and Royal Mail Worldwide.  Purchases are very carefully wrapped and packed using high quality packing materials and extra strong boxes.  All parcels are comprehensively insured and sent at the risk of Chapman Pugh Ltd. Please be aware that there maybe customs and/or tax payments due on the parcels arrival in the buyers country. This varies from country to country. Any additional customs and/or tax payments are the responsibility of the buyer. FREE SHIPPING IN THE UK ALL SHIPPING COSTS ARE REFUNDED IF LESS THAN STATED BELOW: Shipping Costs: United Kingdom FREE Europe £39.15 United States and Canada £47.50 Rest of the World £50.15 Please message us for a precise shipping quote for Europe and the Rest of the World. It may be possible to obtain lower prices than those stated depending on the shipping address