In terms of German automobile production, the immediate post-war landscape was unrecognizable from 10 years prior. The Allies’ “industrial disarmament” plan had seen industrial output slashed to roughly half that of 1938, with widespread shortages in raw materials, facilities, and labor. In the context of motor racing—Germans immediately adopted a “make do and mend” philosophy, with the pre-war BMW 328 engine offering a faint glimmer of hope to any aspiring enthusiasts.

Enter Ernest Loof—engineer, designer, and former head of racing at BMW. In late 1946, Loof founded the marque Veritas, which—quite simply—cobbled together pre-war 315- and 328-series BMW running gear beneath lightweight bodywork of his own designs. Almost constantly on the brink of insolvency during its brief existence, Veritas did manage some success in the German 2.0-liter Formula series before shuttering in 1950. Very few genuine Veritas examples were produced, and even fewer have survived to the present.

A VERITAS-STYLE XK 150

The subject lot is built upon a 1957 Jaguar XK 150 draped in a stunning aluminum body, masterfully recreating the appearance of Veritas’ RS 2000 sports car of 1949. This Jaguar’s chassis number indicates that it was originally configured as a left-hand drive, US-market Drophead Coupe “SE” with the optional overdrive added to its four-speed manual transmission. It is presently powered by a 3.8-liter straight-six engine fitted with the desirable C-Type cylinder head, twin side-draft SU carburetors, and a period-correct four-speed gearbox.

Gene Ponder acquired the bare chassis and mechanical running gear of this special project in 2011. After the underlying mechanicals were refurbished and entirely sorted, the car received its beautiful Veritas-style aluminum coachwork from MasterCraft Bodyworks, Inc. of Ovilla, Texas.

Invoices on file show the car received a tune-up in September 2020, which included new spark plugs, fuel filter, and master cylinders, as well as rebuilding the emergency brake and SU carburetors.

Finished in Rosso Corsa over a stripped-down Jaguar interior replete with medium red upholstery and a striking engine-turned dashboard fitted with period-correct Smiths instrumentation, this unique Veritas-style Jaguar special is a fantastic recreation of the obscure and exceedingly rare original.