Жагуардың алғашқы тарихы: SS Автомобильдері

Predecessor company to Jaguar Cars Limited

SS Cars was a British manufacturer of sports saloon cars from 1934 until wartime 1940, and from March 1935 of a limited number of open 2 seater sports cars. From September 1935, their new models displayed a new name: SS Jaguar. By then, its business, which was founded in 1922, was run by and largely owned by William Lyons. Lyons had been partner with 1922 co founder William Walmsley until Walmsley sold his shareholding in January 1935. The company that owned the business, S. S. Cars Limited, bought the shares of Swallow Coachbuilding Limited as of 31 July 1934 and the Swallow company was liquidated before S. S. issued shares to the public in January 1935. This was the time when Walmsley finished selling his holding. S. S. Cars Limited changed its name to Jaguar Cars Limited 23 March 1945.

Under the guidance of the chairman, William Lyons, the company survived the depression years of the 1930s by making a series of beautifully styled cars offering exceptional value for money although some enthusiasts criticised them at the time for being "more show than go". The engines and chassis supplied by the Standard Motor Company were fitted with Swallow bodies styled under Lyons supervision. The first of the SS range of cars available to the public was the 1932 SS 1 with 2 litre or 2½ litre side valve, six cylinder engine and the SS 2 with a four cylinder 1 litre side valve engine. Initially available as coupé or tourer a saloon was added in 1934, when the chassis was modified to be 2 inches (50 mm) wider.

The first of the open two seater sports cars came in March 1935 with the SS 90, so called because of its claimed top speed. This car used the 2½ litre side valve, six cylinder engine in a short chassis "cut and shut" SS 1 brought down to an SS 2's wheelbase, only 23 were made. Harry Weslake was set to work on engine development. Bill Heynes came to be chief engineer from Hillman — before that Humber. Weslake's new cylinder head was manufactured for SS by Standard. The Weslake head and twin RAG carburetters were fitted to the last year's production of SS 1 and SS 2 cars.

To counteract the "more show than go" criticism of their SS90, Lyons had engaged William Heynes as chief engineer and Harry Weslake for engine tuning. Weslake was asked to redesign the 2½ litre 70 bhp side valve engine to achieve 90 bhp. His answer was an overhead valve design that produced 102 bhp and it was this engine that launched the new SS Jaguar sports and saloon cars in 1936. The SS Jaguar 2½ litre saloon with its 102 bhp six cylinder Weslake designed cross flow ohv cylinder head on its Standard engine caused a sensation when it was launched at a trade luncheon for dealers and press at London's Mayfair Hotel on 21 September 1935. The show car was in fact a prototype. Luncheon guests were asked to write down the UK price for which they thought the car would be sold and the average of their answers was £765. Even in that deflationary period, the actual price at just £395

Everyone else noted the new grille's likeness to a Bentley's.

In 1938 saloon and drophead production moved from coachbuilt (wood framed) to all steel and a 3½ litre engine was added to the range. The 2½ litre and 3½ litre cars shared the same chassis and body design although it was necessary to use a wider radiator for the 3½ litre. The new 1½ litre for 1938 used the same body shell as the six cylinder cars but on a shorter chassis and its new larger 1776 cc engine had overhead valves.

The new open two seater sports car carried the title: SS Jaguar 100. Only 198 of the 2½ litre and 116 of the 3½ litre models were made and with a top speed and 0 60 mph time of 11 seconds the survivors are highly sought after, rarely coming on the market.

On 23 March 1945 the shareholders in general meeting agreed to change the company's name to Jaguar Cars Limited. Said Chairman William Lyons: "Unlike S. S. the name Jaguar is distinctive and cannot be connected or confused with any similar foreign name." When production restarted the saloons were simply named Jaguar 1½ litre, 2½ litre or 3½ litre. The model that followed these cars was called the Jaguar Mark V and so the immediate post war trio have become known unofficially as the Mark IV Jaguars. S. S. Cars Limited, company number 00333482 which is current — but dormant — in 2014, was incorporated 9 November 1937 with the name Jaguar Cars Limited. Most likely this is a result of steps taken to protect famous names.

This company, a wholly owned subsidiary of S. S., was formed for the production of Swallow sidecars and began operating on 1 May 1935. In January 1946 the Helliwell Group, an aircraft maintenance firm, bought Swallow Coachbuilding Company (1935) Limited from Jaguar Cars Limited. Sidecars produced at Helliwells' Walsall Airport works were built in the same way as the originals and used the same patented trademark. They closed their workshop in the late 1950s.