9781422279571

J A G U A R

Swallow’s first fully original car design, the SS 1, was built on a modified chassis supplied by Standard. The long hood and rakish lines suggested speed, but it was not to be found in this car: it’s six– cylinder engine developed only 16 hp.

cars had long, low lines and were as impressively equipped as cars selling for four times the money. They propelled Swallow’s profits to £38,000 ($190,000) by 1934, at which time the business became a public company and Walmsley’s interest was bought out by Lyons. Lyons first applied the Jaguar name to a model with the introduction of the SS Jaguar saloon series in 1935. A six–cylinder, 2.5–litre engine that had twin carburetors and produced 103 hp powered this very sleek four–door design. Leather and woodwork graced the interior in rich abundance. Also produced were 1.5– and 3.5–litre versions, with the latter propelling the SS Jaguar to a top speed of 90 mph. By the time World War II started, 14,000 Jaguars had been produced. At the same time, SS Cars Limited started work on its first sports cars. First was the SS 90, based on a shortened SS 1 chassis; the model was never truly promoted and only 23 units were built before it was replaced by the altogether lovely SS 100, introduced in 1935 in 2.5– and 3.5–litre versions. During the war the company produced parts for and repaired, military air- craft, and in a return to its roots, manufactured approximately 10,000 motorcy- cle sidecars for the military. The sidecar business was ultimately sold in 1944. With the war and the much publicized excesses of the Nazi period giving an unfortunate connotation to the company’s “SS” initials, its name was changed to Jaguar Cars Limited in February 1945, with car production resuming that September with the resurrection of pre–war designs.

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