Formby’s 1959 Jaguar 3.4 ‘Mk1’ up for sale

A 1959 Jaguar 3.4 ‘Mk 1’ that was once owned by much-loved British entertainer, George Formby, is set to be put under the hammer by Anglia Car Auctions at the end of January. Formby was a big stage and film star in the Thirties and Forties, most famous for his ukulele playing. He bought the 3.4-litre example with the Mist Grey exterior and red leather upholstery from Woodhead’s Garage in Blackpool during 1959 and immediately transferred his personalised numberplate, GF 2, onto it.

However, on that year’s August bank holiday George and his wife, Beryl, were driving along the A47 just past King’s Lynn, heading for Great Yarmouth where he was appearing at the Windmill Theatre. At East Winch, an Austin A30 turned right while George was overtaking and the two cars collided. The Formbys were taken to hospital in King’s Lynn, suffering from shock.

Formby played tribute to the Jaguar’s braking abilities (courtesy of having discs all round), but he traded it in for a new Jaguar Mk IX afterwards. An allowance of £1,425 was given for the Mk 1 which was then repaired and sold on.

The grey Jaguar was subsequently re-registered but taken off the road during 1968. However, after a few decades it was rescued and reunited with Formby’s GF 2 numberplate in 2002. Its restoration ran to 2,500 hours over a period of six months. The current mileage is shown as 71,506 miles and despite being an older rebuild, the car still presents very well throughout. It also comes with several items of Formby memorability.

The sale at Anglia Car Auctions takes place on 29-30 January with the car carrying a £30,000-£50,000 estimate.