1934 | Jaguar SS 1

A long bonnet, low roof and a short boot makes a good looking car. We appreciate these proportions of performance and GT cars for close to a century now, and Sir William Lyons was undoubtedly one of the pioneers of this sporty design.
This SS1 Four Light Saloon from 1934 represents the archetype : a real treasure that is equal parts sinister, sexy and sublime ! Startlingly low for a 1934 car that had to deal with the likes of bad thirties roads, the SS1 looks like a stunning coachbuilt saloon but it was an everyday offering from S.S. Cars Limited in Coventry, the automotive concern of William Lyons and William Walmsley which would become Jaguar one day.

The first SS1 arrived in 1932 as the car to have from the upstart maker, with a history that started with building sidecars in the early twenties before moving to coachbuilt car bodies later that decade. Though the chassis was manufactured by the Standard Motor Company, it was custom designed for S.S. Allegedly inspired by the rakish Cord L-29, Lyons penned the SS1 himself, but a lengthy hospital stay kept him away from the drawing board when the final design came down. It was a compromise addapted by Walmsley with a raised roof and narrow track, which affected the car’s proportions a lot. On top of that, it had simple cycle wings above the front wheels. As beauty rarely emerges from compromise, the 1932 SS1 was not entirely the striking car Lyons had in mind...

Not too happy whth these changes, but resigned to the fact that the car needed to be finished, Lyons waited until 1933 to build the car he wanted in the first place. He called for a new chassis - again supplied by Standard – which was wider and much lower than the first-year car. With an underslung rear axle, the car looked very low and this allowed for the passengers to be seated much closer to the ground. Lyons got his lower roof and added more sweeping front wings which ran the length of the body to complete a look that still excites. The longer wheelbase gave rear-seat passengers some of the legroom they needed as well. Together with these 1933 changes, an open-top Tourer was added and in 1934, the magnificent Four Light Saloon followed. This body style shared almost everything with the Coupé but came with extra side windows to make it a little less claustrophobic in the back while greatly improving the looks.

Under the bonnet, buyers had two engine choices both supplied by Standard. There was the base 2,143cc straight six called 16HP, and for a mere £5 extra a larger, stroked 2,663cc version could be supplied which was the 20HP. In reality, these engines made respectively 53 bhp and 68 bhp. An aluminum cylinder head was also new for 1934, though the engine block remained cast iron. The SS1 remained in production until 1936, by which time 2.503 examples of this great motorcar had been made in all available body styles.

The example we are offering for sale has spent most of its life in New Zealand. It was found in a barn in Wanganui in 1969 and then remained until 1996 with the same owner. The car was discovered by a local Jaguar collector and purchased in December 1996 for a full restoration to its original condition. This restoration took 3 years and everything was made to concours condition. The SS1 still has the original 16HP engine block with matching nrs, but unfortunately the aluminium cylinder head had become completely porous and thus unusable. Fortunately, a new head was found in Australia. This one was from a 20HP which also fits the 16HP engine block.
In May 2003, the car was purchased by Upper Classics - the most reputable SS and Jaguar SS specialist in the world - and sold to the Netherlands. In 2006, the car was finally sold to the actual owner who kept it in the family collection until today.

This SS1 is still in beautiful condition. It has just the right amount of patina and looks gorgeous in the green over black colour combination. The interior is pure art deco. Finished in beautiful brown Vaumol leather, it exudes absolute luxury. Furthermore, the car has a large sunroof, which combined with the opening windscreen and rear window can create a real ‘air conditioning’ avant-la-lettre. The view behind the large steering wheel is rather special, with the very long bonnet and beautiful chrome headlights. The engine runs silky smooth and keeps up well with today's traffic. The mechanical brakes take some getting used to at first, but provide sufficient braking power if you push hard enough, and gearbox and steering are remarkably good for a prewar sports car. The car is well documented with period pictures, magazine articles, a JDHT Heritage Certificate and comes with a Dutch registration.

Such a stylish motorcar is very rare today and almost never becomes available for sale. In this car is the origin of the DNA of all the later Jaguars : long bonnet, low seating position with ditto low roofline and short rear end. These characteristics are found on all post-war Jaguar sports cars (XK120/140/150, E-Type, XJ-S,...), and are proof that William Lyons knew very well how to build a very attractive car with perfect proportions. As the forerunner of the Jaguar marque, the SS1 predated yet epitomized the former's advertising slogan : "Grace, Space and Pace." This is definitely your chance to obtain one of the most classy and elegant cars from the thirties !