Chassis No. S57

The Invicta marque, established in 1925, emerged from the collaboration of visionary British engineer Noel Campbell Macklin and sugar magnate Oliver Lyle. Their foundational concept-to marry lively performance characteristics with extreme flexibility in top gear-would define the marque's engineering philosophy throughout its history. The initial 2.5-liter offering, equipped with a Meadows six-cylinder powerplant in a lightweight chassis, established Invicta's excellent performance reputation, though it would be the subsequent larger-displacement three-liter variants that truly cemented the company's position among Britain's premier sporting marques.

At the 1930 Olympia Car Show, Invicta unveiled what many consider to be the marque's crowning achievement-the S-Type 4½-Litre Low Chassis. The S-Type's technical sophistication was most visually apparent in its innovative chassis design-a groundbreaking "underslung" configuration that positioned the axles above the frame rails, achieving a remarkably low center of gravity for industry-leading road holding capabilities. This chassis architecture was paired with a specially developed six-cylinder 4,467 cc overhead valve Meadows power unit delivering approximately 100 horsepower. Like its predecessors, the Meadows Type 8A gearbox was geared for maximum flexibility, capable of pulling smoothly from walking pace in top gear while retaining the ability to propel the car to speeds approaching 100 miles per hour.

The S-Type's competition prowess was immediately established through a limited racing program focused primarily on long-distance trials. Notable among these was the Austrian Alpine Trail, where Donald Healey secured two prestigious Coupe des Glaciers victories for the marque. Healey further demonstrated the S-Type's exceptional reliability by claiming victory in the grueling 1931 Monte Carlo Rally followed by a second place finish the following year. In 1932, Invictas achieved record-setting performances at both the Shelsley Walsh Hill Climb, where it captured the International Sports Car Record, and at Brooklands, where Raymond Mays established new Mountain Circuit lap records in both 1931 and 1932.

This exceptional Invicta S-Type 4½-Litre Low Chassis is the sole example fitted with factory Fixed Head Coupe coachwork and is one of only 77 Invicta S-Type chassis produced-56 of which are thought to survive. According to The Invicta S-Type Low Chassis by Mike Riedner, chassis S57, known as "Sea-Bear," was originally finished in a two-tone red and dark green livery with beige upholstery, and was first registered as GO 6422 in May 1931. Its early documented ownership history includes E.A.R. Landen, E.F. Thorneywork, and British collector Robert McLaren who would retain the car for an incredible 39-year period. In February 2011, the car left the care of renowned French collector Andre Trigano and joined the Academy of Art University Collection, then finished in Black with a Havana Peccary leather interior and green carpeting.

What followed was a no-expense-spared, ground-up restoration initiated by Aries Restoration in Hollister, California, and completed by Paul Calonico. The sophisticated 4½-liter overhead valve engine was fully rebuilt by Hasselgren Engineering Inc., with subsequent mechanical sorting rendered by Calonico. The low-slung Coupe coachwork was renewed in an attractive shade of blue with matching wire wheels and side-mounted spares, complete with a black-trimmed top and an eye-catching red leather-upholstered interior. All told, the thoroughly documented restoration is said to have neared one-million dollars invested in total by its completion. This outstanding investment and meticulous attention to detail were then recognized at the 2015 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, where chassis S57 was awarded the revered Montagu of Beaulieu Trophy.

Having covered a mere 51 miles since its superb restoration, this exceptional S-Type would be particularly welcomed at the 2025 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, where the marque's centennial is being celebrated with a featured Invicta class. As the sole surviving Fixed Head Coupe example, chassis S57 represents an extraordinary opportunity to acquire a concours-grade S-Type, guaranteed to be welcomed at the world's most prestigious automotive gatherings.