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SS 1931-1945 - Major success and benchmark in sports car construction

Name: Jaguar SS-100 1936
Brand: Jaguar

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Created on February 4, 2009

Text:

Roger Gloor

Photos:

Daniel Reinhard

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Daniel Reinhard

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Jaguar SS 100 (1937) at the Ennstal Classic 2010

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Summary

There have been around 10,000 car brands and designers - most of which have disappeared. One of these vanished brands is "SS", founded by William Lyons in 1931 and renamed Jaguar after the Second World War for understandable reasons. The SS 100 in particular became the benchmark in sports car construction.

Estimated reading time: 3min

Preview (beginning of the article)

William Lyons (1901- 1985) started manufacturing motorcycle sidecars in Blackpool at the age of 21. From 1926, special bodies were added, initially with the beautifully shaped Austin Swallow based on the Austin Seven.The great success of the Swallow Sidecar + Coach Buildung Co. prompted Lyons to move to larger factory premises in Coventry in 1928. Special bodies for Austin, Fiat, Standard, Swift and Wolseley were built there. The next step was taken at the London Motor Show in 1931: the introduction of the company's own SS brand. Developed "especially for the connoisseur", the SS I had a deep chassis frame specially designed by Standard with a 2054 cc six-cylinder engine, an elongated hood and a short single-window pavilion with a low roofline.

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