Jaguar SS100
Encyclopedia
The SS100 is a British 2-seat sports car built between 1936 and 1940 by SS Cars Ltd
of Coventry
, England. The last one is thought to have been delivered in 1941. In 1936 the name Jaguar was given to a new saloon car and from then on to all the cars. Following the Second World War, because of the connotations then attached to the initials ""SS", the company was renamed Jaguar
.
The chassis had a wheelbase of 8 in 8 in (2.64 m), and was essentially a shortened version of the one designed for the 2.5-litre saloon, a car produced in much greater numbers, and first been seen in the SS 90
of 1935. Suspension was on half-elliptical springs all round with rigid axles. The engine was a development of the old 2.5 litre Standard
unit converted from side valve to overhead valve with a new cylinder head designed by William Heynes
and Harry Weslake. The power output was increased from 70 bhp to 100 bhp. Twin SU carburettors were bolted directly to the cylinder head. In 1938 the engine was further enlarged to 3.5 litres and the power increased to 125 bhp. The four-speed gearbox had synchromesh on the top 3 ratios. Brakes were by Girling. The complete car weighed just over 23 cwt (2600 pounds, 1150 kg).
On test by the Autocar
magazine in 1937 the 2.5-litre (20 RAC hp rating) car was found, with the windscreen lowered, to have a maximum speed of 95 mi/h and a 0–60 mi/h time of 13.5 seconds. With the 3.5 litre (25 RAC hp rating) the top speed reached the magic 100 mi/h with a best of 101 mi/h over the quarter mile and the 0–60 mi/h coming down to 10.4 seconds.
In 1937 the 2.5-litre car cost £395 and in 1938 the 3.5-litre £445. The coupé, of which only one was made, was listed at £595. A few examples were supplied as chassis only to external coachbuilders.
Widely considered to be one of the most aesthetically pleasing Jaguar cars it is also one of the rarest, with only 198 of the 2.5-litre and 116 of the 3.5-litre models being made. Most stayed on the home market but 49 were exported. Cars in good condition will fetch well in excess of £100,000; a near concours
example was sold by auctioneers Bonhams at the Goodwood Festival of Speed
in 2007 for £199,500.
A number of replica and re-creation cars have been manufactured since the 1960's. The most notable being the British made Suffolk SS100 and Steadman TS100
both using Jaguar XJ6 components.
SS Cars Ltd
SS Cars Ltd was a British car maker. It grew out of the Swallow Sidecar Company and was first registered under the new name in 1934. Some conjecture to the origins of the SS name exist, It was John Black who when asked the meaning of SS said it has always stood for Standard Swallow...
of Coventry
Coventry
Coventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom. It is also the second largest city in the English Midlands, after Birmingham, with a population of 300,848, although...
, England. The last one is thought to have been delivered in 1941. In 1936 the name Jaguar was given to a new saloon car and from then on to all the cars. Following the Second World War, because of the connotations then attached to the initials ""SS", the company was renamed Jaguar
Jaguar (car)
Jaguar Cars Ltd, known simply as Jaguar , is a British luxury car manufacturer, headquartered in Whitley, Coventry, England. It is part of the Jaguar Land Rover business, a subsidiary of the Indian company Tata Motors....
.
The chassis had a wheelbase of 8 in 8 in (2.64 m), and was essentially a shortened version of the one designed for the 2.5-litre saloon, a car produced in much greater numbers, and first been seen in the SS 90
SS 90
The SS90 was a British sports car first built by SS Cars Ltd in Coventry, England in 1935. In 1945 the company changed its name to Jaguar Cars Ltd.The car used a six-cylinder side-valve Standard engine of 2663 cc with an output of...
of 1935. Suspension was on half-elliptical springs all round with rigid axles. The engine was a development of the old 2.5 litre Standard
Standard Motor Company
The Standard Motor Company was founded in Coventry, England in 1903 by Reginald Walter Maudslay . The Standard name was last used in Britain in 1963, and in India in 1987.-1903–1914:...
unit converted from side valve to overhead valve with a new cylinder head designed by William Heynes
William Heynes
William Munger Heynes , born in Leamington Spa, was a British automobile engineer.Heynes was educated at Warwick School from 1914 to 1921 before joining the Humber Car Company in Coventry in 1922 where he worked in the drawing office before becoming head of the technical department in 1930...
and Harry Weslake. The power output was increased from 70 bhp to 100 bhp. Twin SU carburettors were bolted directly to the cylinder head. In 1938 the engine was further enlarged to 3.5 litres and the power increased to 125 bhp. The four-speed gearbox had synchromesh on the top 3 ratios. Brakes were by Girling. The complete car weighed just over 23 cwt (2600 pounds, 1150 kg).
On test by the Autocar
Autocar
Autocar is a weekly British automobile magazine published by Haymarket Motoring Publications Ltd. It refers to itself as "The World's oldest car magazine".-History:...
magazine in 1937 the 2.5-litre (20 RAC hp rating) car was found, with the windscreen lowered, to have a maximum speed of 95 mi/h and a 0–60 mi/h time of 13.5 seconds. With the 3.5 litre (25 RAC hp rating) the top speed reached the magic 100 mi/h with a best of 101 mi/h over the quarter mile and the 0–60 mi/h coming down to 10.4 seconds.
In 1937 the 2.5-litre car cost £395 and in 1938 the 3.5-litre £445. The coupé, of which only one was made, was listed at £595. A few examples were supplied as chassis only to external coachbuilders.
Widely considered to be one of the most aesthetically pleasing Jaguar cars it is also one of the rarest, with only 198 of the 2.5-litre and 116 of the 3.5-litre models being made. Most stayed on the home market but 49 were exported. Cars in good condition will fetch well in excess of £100,000; a near concours
Concours d'Elegance
A Concours d'Elegance dates back to 17th Century French aristocracy, who paraded horse-drawn carriages in the parks of Paris during Summer weekends and holidays...
example was sold by auctioneers Bonhams at the Goodwood Festival of Speed
Goodwood Festival of Speed
The Goodwood Festival of Speed, commonly abbreviated as FoS and referred within the United Kingdom as simply the Festival of Speed, is an annual hill climb featuring historic motor racing vehicles that is held in the grounds of Goodwood House, West Sussex, England.Typically held in late June or...
in 2007 for £199,500.
A number of replica and re-creation cars have been manufactured since the 1960's. The most notable being the British made Suffolk SS100 and Steadman TS100
Steadman TS100
The Steadman TS100 was a British sports car manufactured by Ottercraft Ltd in Hayle, Cornwall, United Kingdom, during the late 1980s and early 1990s....
both using Jaguar XJ6 components.