SS Jaguar 100

Jaguar SS100
1939 Jaguar SS100
Overview
Manufacturer	SS Cars Ltd
Also called	SS Jaguar 2½ Litre 100 Model [1]
Production	1936–1940
Body and chassis
Class	Sports car (S)
Body style	Open two-seater or in US Roadster Coupé (prototype only) [2]
Powertrain
Engine	2663 cc (3485 cc from 1938) straight-6 overhead valve[3]
Dimensions
Wheelbase	104 in (2,642 mm) [3]
Length	153 in (3,886 mm) [3]
Width	63 in (1,600 mm) [3]
Chronology
Predecessor	SS 90
Successor	Jaguar XK120

The SS Jaguar 100 is a British 2-seat sports car built between 1936 and 1940 by SS Cars Ltd of Coventry, England.

The '100' was so named to reflect the theoretical 100 mph maximum speed of the vehicle.^[4] In common with many products of the thirties, the adoption of an animal name was deemed appropriate, and once approved by Sir William Lyons the name "Jaguar" was given to a new saloon car in 1936, and from that point to all the cars.

Following the Second World War, because of the Nazi connotations then attached to the initials "SS", the company was renamed Jaguar in 1945.

Construction

A publicity shot of CKV250 outside the SS Cars building in 1937. This is considered to be the first recorded use of the Jaguar 'leaper' mascot.^[5]

The chassis had a wheelbase of 8 feet 8 inches (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 seen in the SS 90 of 1935. When leaving the factory it originally fitted 5.50 or 5.25 × 18 inch tyres on 18 inch wire wheels.^[6] Suspension was on half-elliptical springs all round with rigid axles. The engine was a development of the old 2.5-litre Standard pushrod 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 (52 kW) to 100 bhp (70 kW). 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 (93 kW). 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 mph (153 km/h) and a 0–60 mph (97 km/h) time of 13.5 seconds. With the 3.5-litre (25 RAC hp rating) the top speed reached the magic 100 mph (160 km/h) with a best of 101 mph (163 km/h) over the quarter mile and the 0–60 mph (97 km/h) coming down to 10.4 seconds.

In 1937 the 2.5-litre car cost £395 and in 1938 the 3.5-litre £445.^[7] The coupé, of which only one was made, was listed at £595. A few examples were supplied as chassis-only to external coachbuilders.

Legacy

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 now regularly fetch in excess of £300,000. A near concours example was sold by auctioneers Bonhams at the Goodwood Festival of Speed back in 2007 for £199,500 but largely because of the rarity, auction prices for the SS100 have risen very strongly since then.

More recently a perfectly restored example and former Pebble Beach concours winning 1937 S.S. Jaguar 100 3½ Litre Roadster - was sold by Gooding & Co. on 17 August 2010 at their Pebble Beach auction. It fetched an astonishing £666,270 ($1,045,000).^[8]

It was on an SS100 that the famous Jaguar 'leaper' was first prominently displayed, despite an inauspicious start. In mid 1936 the first version of the Jaguar vehicle mascot was apparently described by the founder of the company as "looking like a cat shot off a fence". A later publicity photograph of the new Model 100 "Jaguar" (registration mark CKV 250) parked outside the offices of SS Cars Ltd in early 1937 shows a revised Jaguar 'leaper' mascot mounted on he radiator cap. It is this more stylised 'leaper' that became the basis for subsequent mascots and the trade mark for Jaguar Cars Ltd that has been used to the present day.

The unnamed owner of the Belgravia vintage car dealer in James Leasor's 'Aristo Autos' novels, 'They Don't Make Them Like That Any More', 'Never Had a Spanner on Her' and 'Host of Extras' drives an SS100, and the car features prominently in the books.

The late Alan Clark MP owned a Jaguar SS100, and during his time in Margaret Thatcher's government was often to be seen piloting his SS100 away from the House of Commons after late Parliamentary sittings.

Replicas and recreations

A number of replica and recreations of the Jaguar SS100 have also been manufactured since the 1960s. Significant manufacturers include the Birchfield Motor Company, the Steadman Motor Company, Suffolk Sportscars and the Finch Motor Company.

Comparison of SS100 replicas and recreations

	Birchfield Sports [9]	Steadman TS100 [10]	Suffolk SS100 [11]	Finch SS100 [12]
Production Years	1982 - 2004	late 1980s to late 1990s	1990 - present	1992 - present
Chassis	In-house design to suit donor XJ6	In-house design to suit donor XJ6	In-house design to suit donor XJ6	Original 1939 SS100 design
Body	Alloy cladding on steel-tube frame	Alloy cladding on steel-tube frame	Glass-reinforced plastic (GRP)	Alloy cladding on timber frame
Engine	XK 4.2-litre	XK 2.8, 3.8 or 4.2 litre	XJ6 3.4 or 4.2 litre	Mk IV or SS 2.5 or 3.5 litre
Gearbox	XJ6 automatic gearbox	4 speed manual or 3 speed automatic XJ6	4 or 5 speed XJ6 Short Compact Box	4 speed Moss Box

Birchfield Motor Company

In 1982, the first Birchfield Sports was produced but it was only intended to be a one-off. A company called Shapecraft in Northampton, UK, then developed the concept further as a (small) production-run vehicle using Jaguar XJ6 mechanicals, with the looks of the Jaguar SS.^[9]

Due to the complexity of the design, and the advanced degree of engineering knowledge needed to deal with the Jaguar parts, the car was not very successful as a kit car.^[9] For this reason, only 18 were ever produced in the UK.^[13]

After production ceased in the UK, a Shapecraft employee emigrated to Australia taking with him the Birchfield drawings and the last production car (#18) to use as a pattern.^[13] In 2004, at least two cars had been completed in Australia and two more were in production.^[14]

Steadman Motor Company

The Steadman TS100 manufactured during the late 1980s and early 1990s by Ottercraft Ltd in Hayle, Cornwall, United Kingdom, is described as a 'reproduction' of the SS100.^[15]

The actual build numbers for this car is unknown, but it is thought that a maximum of twenty-eight of these vehicles were assembled, and were also referred to as the Jaguar Steadman TS100. The Steadman TS100 was never intended to be a replica of the SS100 of the 1930s, but was designed to be a sports car in its own right.^[10]

With a hand-built aluminium body, the Steadman TS100 used unadapted Jaguar XJ6 running gear and was sold as a high quality, more modern version of the Jaguar SS100. Dimensionally and visually, the Steadman TS100 was quite different from the original Jaguar SS100. These differences occurred because the manufacturers were forced to change the original proportions to both accommodate the wider track of the donor car and allow the use of more readily available smaller, wider wheels. Attention was paid to styling detail during design (such as the use of appropriately large headlights) and at the time of production, the Steadman TS100 was regarded as more successful than most other evocations.^[16] With an unknown number surviving, this re-creation is a rare sight at classic car events.

The Steadman TS100 Enthusiasts Club was established in 2011 to maintain the vehicle's marque and to bring together owners from around the world.^[10]

Suffolk Sportscars

Suffolk Sportscars are based in Woodbridge, Suffolk, United Kingdom, and build glass-reinforced plastic (GRP) SS100 replicas. Upon receiving an order, the replica car is built individually by hand to the customer's own specifications. Alternatively, a replica may be ordered in component form for skilled home assembly.

The Suffolk SS100 uses the Jaguar XK6 engine, and commonly the 4-speed Jaguar 'Short Compact' gearbox as the drivetrain.

The Suffolk SS100 is still in limited production today with 8-12 cars being produced each year with exports to a number of countries including the USA, several European nations, Australia and New Zealand. The Suffolk Sportscars SS100 is probably the most prolific replica of the Jaguar SS100.

A Finch SS100 winning the Australian Concours d' Elegance (Gold Coast)

Finch Motor Company

The Finch Motor Company is based in Mount Barker, South Australia.

Finch's approach to the Finch SS100 is somewhat different to the other SS100 replica manufacturers. Finch endeavoured to recreate their Finch SS100 as faithfully as possible and do not use the XJ6 as the base donor car. Finch sourced original factory drawings and build their SS100 chassis to the original design. The bodies of the Finch SS100 are made from aluminium metal-shaped to fit the traditional wooden frames built by Finch. Finch SS100 mechanicals are sourced from 'deceased' MkIV and SS Jaguars to obtain contemporary components.^[12]

A Finch SS100 won the Australian Concours d' Elegance.^[12]

References

1. "Motor magazine insert for the 1936 SS Jaguar range". The Jag-lovers Web. Jag-lovers Ltd. Retrieved 13 September 2014.
2. "1938 show-stopper: William Lyons’ Jaguar SS100 3.5-litre Coupé Prototype". Classic Driver. Classic Driver (Switzerland) AG. Retrieved 12 August 2013.
3. Culshaw; Horrobin (1974). Complete Catalogue of British Cars. London: Macmillan. ISBN 978-0-333-16689-5.
4. "1938 S.S. Jaguar 100 3½ Litre". Supercars.net. Supercars.net Publishing. Retrieved 13 September 2014.
5. "First Cats: The predecessors of Jaguar Cars Ltd.". The Jag-lovers Web. Jag-lovers Ltd. Retrieved 27 July 2015.
6. Paul Skilleter, Jaguar Sports Cars, pp.305 ISBN 0-85429-166-0.
7. Sedgwick, M. (1989). A-Z of Cars of the 1930s. Devon, UK: Bay View Books. ISBN 978-1-870979-38-2.
8. "1937 SS Cars 100 SS auction sales and data.". Conceptcarz.com. Conceptcarz.com. Retrieved 27 July 2015.
9. "Birchfield Sports". Brightwells Auctioneers and Valuers. Brightwells Limited. Retrieved 27 July 2015.
10. "Welcome to the Steadman Jaguar TS100 Club". Steadman Jaguar TS100 Enthusiasts Club. Steadman TS100 Enthusiasts Club. Retrieved 27 July 2015.
11. "Suffolk SS100". Suffolk Sportcars. Suffolk Jaguar. Retrieved 27 July 2015.
12. "SS100 Replica". Finch Restorations. Finch Motor Company. Retrieved 27 July 2015.
13. "The Birchfield Story". Birchfield Motor Company. Birchfield Motor Company. Archived from the original on 8 April 2005. Retrieved 27 July 2015.
14. "Buying a Birchfield". Birchfield Motor Company. Birchfield Motor Company. Archived from the original on 8 April 2004. Retrieved 27 July 2015.
15. "THE STEADMAN TS 100". Steadman Jaguar TS100 Enthusiasts Club. Steadman TS100 Enthusiasts Club. Retrieved 27 July 2015.
16. Lawrence, Mike (1996). A to Z of sports cars, 1945-1990. MotorBooks International. p. 336. ISBN 978-1-870979-81-8. Retrieved 21 August 2011.

External links

• Finch Motor Company SS100 Replica
• Jaguar Heritage website (official)
• Photograph of the SS100 coupé
• Steadman Jaguar TS100 Enthusiasts Club
• Suffolk Sportscars SS100 Replica