Beschreibung:

1937 SS 100 Jaguar 2½-Litre Two-seater Sports Chassis no. 18050 Engine no. 250997• One of approximately 190 SS 100 2½-Litre models made • Present ownership since 2010 • Restored to concours condition over the last 10 years • Featured in numerous publications FootnotesLaunched for 1936, the SS 100 was the first real high-performance model produced by SS Cars Limited and used a new Weslake-developed overhead-valve engine in a shortened SS 1 chassis. The introduction of the OHV unit was considered to justify the adoption of a new name for the series, SS Cars boss William Lyons later recalling "I immediately pounced on Jaguar as it had an exciting sound to me". ('Jaguar' would be adopted as the marque name in 1943, 'SS' having by then acquired a somewhat tarnished reputation). 'SS' originally stood for the Swallow Sidecar & Coachbuilding Company, which had been founded in Blackpool, England by William Walmsley. The company branched out into motor manufacture in 1926, its first major success being an attractive sports saloon on the Austin Seven chassis, the design being the work of Walmsley's partner, one William Lyons. Relocation to Coventry followed and the Swallow range expanded to include models on Morris Cowley, Wolseley Hornet and Standard Sixteen chassis. Marque status arrived in October 1931 with the launch of the SS 1, the chassis of which was supplied exclusively to Swallow by Standard, who also provided the six-cylinder sidevalve engine and four-speed gearbox. Although unspectacular in performance, the SS 1 went some way towards establishing the pattern for future Jaguars, combining sporting good looks with a better-than-average specification and all at a bargain price. By the time the SS 90 sports car arrived in 1935, William Heynes had joined as Chief Engineer. Based on a shortened SS 1 chassis, re-engineered by Heynes, the SS 90 again demonstrated Lyons' consummate skill as a stylist, its long bonnet, smoothly flowing wings, cut-away doors and truncated tail making it every inch the epitome of the 1930s sports car. Although good for 90mph, the SS 90 was handicapped by the limitations of its sidevalve engine, a deficiency that would soon be rectified by another of Lyons' new recruits, gas-flow consultant Harry Weslake. Launched in 1936 alongside the 2½-Litre saloon, the SS 100 Jaguar sports car marked the company's first use of the 'Jaguar' name. Beautifully styled in the manner of its SS 90 predecessor, the newcomer employed a shorter, 102"-wheelbase chassis and a revised version of the 2,663cc Standard six which, equipped with Weslake's overhead-valve cylinder head and breathing through twin SU carburettors, now produced 104bhp. Although a fine touring car, the SS 100 was marketed as primarily for competition work. Its first major success came early, if somewhat unexpectedly, when Tommy Wisdom, crewed by his wife Elsie, won the arduous International Alpine Trial in 1936, beating Bugatti and bringing the fledgling marque to the attention of the Continental public. This would be the first of many successful rallying forays, including class wins in the RAC events of 1937 and 1938, and the Alpine (outright) again in 1948. Around 190 2½-Litre and 116 of the later 3½-Litre cars had been made by the time SS 100 production was prematurely ended by the outbreak of war. Chassis number '18050' was delivered by Henlys, Manchester to its first owner, Jack Harrop, in December 1936, that year's cars being the first to carry the 'Jaguar' name. Harrop entered the car in the 1937 RAC Rally, which he won, achieving the highest score among all the classes. The 1937 RAC Rally is on record as having some of the worst ever driving conditions, with heavy snowdrifts to battle through. That same year Harrop entered the Monte Carlo Rally and won the RSAC award for the top entrant from Scotland. At the time of delivery, the car went to Switzerland where Jack Harrop lived. He served as a fighter pilot in WW2 and sadly was killed in action. SS Ja