1954 Jaguar XK SS

1954 Jaguar XK SS

1954 Jaguar XK SS

1954 Jaguar XK SS

INTRODUCTION:The job of making racing D-Type into roadgoing XK-SS was done as thoroughly as possible within the constraints inevitable when starting with a purpose-built machine.

HIGHLIGHTS:Jaguar relied on the XK engine, but some modifications were made to limit frontal area. The sump was halved in height by switching from wet to dry-sump lubrication. The engine was also mounted at an 8-degree angle, with the off-centre bump in the engine-cover as a result. Mechanically, the only difference between the 1954 and 1955 works cars was the use of larger valves on the latter. Extra space was required to house the larger valves. Frontal area was not sacrificed as the 1955 works D-Types were the first Jaguars to use an asymmetrical head that would come to be known as the '35/40 head'. The intake valves were mounted at 35 degrees, whereas the exhaust valves were mounted at 40 degrees.

SPECIFICATIONS:Rule changes, limiting the displacement to 3 litres, left the D-Types pretty much obsolete for 1958. Jaguar did supply a three litre version of the XK-engine, but it was no match for the competition. Dozens of short-nose production D-Types were sold to privateers, which successfully campaigned them on both sides of the Atlantic. To get rid of the remaining chassis, Jaguar equipped them for road use and sold them as the XKSS model. After only sixteen examples were produced a fire in the factory abruptly ended the run. With three Le Mans wins, the Jaguar D-Type remains as one of the most successful racing cars ever. In both road going XKSS and racing D-Type guise, it is also one of the most desirable Jaguar models.

DESIGN:XKSS Jaguars constructed. It was delivered new to the United States and when was purchased off its first owner by actor / racing driver Steve McQueen in the 1960s. At one point he had legendary artist Von Dutch customize the interior. He used it both on the road and on the track before selling to William Harrah at the end of the decade. He missed the stylish Jaguar so much that he bought it back a few years later and kept it until his untimely death in 1984. Today it's part of the Petersen Museum Collection and is seen here receiving the 'best of show' award during the 2006 Quail, a Motorsports Gathering.

1954 Jaguar XK140

1954 Jaguar XK140

1954 Jaguar XK140

INTRODUCTION:Jaguar, and its founder, William Lyons, wanted to add more prestige to the company. Begining with the development of the XK engine, a trend towards manufacturing more exciting sports cars would fulfill these desires and the XK series would launch Jaguar into it's best years.

SPECIFICATIONS:XK legacy didn't end with XK120 roadster. Later competition cars with XK engines won Le Mans outright in 1953, 55, 56 and 57. Throughout this victorious period, Jaguar upgraded the XK120 to XK140 specification, including more powerful engines and larger interior spaces. This culminated with the XK150, which reached 265 bhp in top form.

Jaguar, Italian Style.

• Of all the XK-powered Jaguars, very few received custom coachwork, and even less were bodied in Italy. However, Italian dealer Guido Modiano commissioned Zagato to rebody one of his bent XK140s. During the build, Zagato was ordered to build the car to high standards which was reflected by it's fully suede interior. Even in the Ferrari 250 Zagatos, from which this Jaguar lends some traits, suede was never ordered.
• Zagato's final form was so striking, Modiano decided to showcase his 'XKZ' at the 1957 Paris Auto
• Salon. Afterwards a brochure was made up for Zagato XK150 conversions of which one car was completed and shown at the 1958 Geneva Auto Show. Unfortunately, the second car marked the end of the project, and within the coming years both Anglo-Italian Jags were lost, one never to return.

1949 Jaguar XK120 Alloy

1949 Jaguar XK120 Alloy

1949 Jaguar XK120 Alloy

INTRODUCTION:After we’ve shown you all the latest luxury vehicles that can be added in your garage, we’re going to look back and admire one of the hottest vintage cars that still exist today. Set to be auctioned on Amelia Island this coming March, this classic 1949 Jaguar XK120 Alloy is the only model which is toned in Blue Sheen paint. It has undergone a complete restoration and has set a new record in the JCNA Slalom.

HIGHLIGHTS: XK 120 was first shipped to the United States’ West Coast, where it was campaigned in a number of amateur sports car races at Monterey and Santa Barbara. It then served for a time as a dirt-track racer, fitted with an American V8 engine when its original gave out. In poor condition, it returned to England for a full restoration by John May of XK Development at Homesdown Farms, Fiddington.

SPECIFICATIONS:::The first 244 XK 120s—including the car on offer here—were clad entirely in aluminum. In period, these represented the best of the best, with their advantageous power-to-weight ratio courtesy of the alloy body and the highly tunable, dual-overhead-cam XK engine. This engine was used in production Jaguarsin successive stages of development through 1987.

The car has been prepared according to the Historic Sports Car Club rules, with respect to the spirit of 1950s-era racing. The drum brakes
have been kept, as has the steering box (which has been displaced to the right side). Even the lever-arm shocks have been kept at the rear. The engine has been tuned with specific camshafts, 9:1 compression ratio, a C-type head, and SU HD8 carbs, and the Moss gearbox is of the close-ratio type.

1939 jaguar SS 2.5-Liter Mark IV

1939 jaguar SS 2.5-Liter Mark IV

1939 jaguar SS 2.5-Liter Mark IV

1939 jaguar SS 2.5-Liter Mark IV

INTRODUCTION:Jaguar's first postwar model, the three-position drophead coupe was distinctive, captivating and extravagant. Extremely rare today, the MK IV was an extremely desirable vehicle and one of the few postwar cars that is considered a Full Classic by the Classic Car Club of America.
HIGHLIGHTS:When SS Cars Ltd. introduced the SS 100 Jaguar Sports car in 1935, it popularized a name that the company itself would adopt after World War II. In 1938, the firm added a DHC (Drophead coupe - convertible) version. Built on a 120-inch wheelbase, this convertible had a new crossbraced frame and pressed steel body. It was much admired for its gracefully curved front fenders, which flowed into the running boards. The luxurious interior included a dashboard in French walnut and doors and seats upholstered in Vaumol leather. A padded case inside the trunk lid held a complete tool set.
SPECIFICATION:

• A total of 5,761 1.5 liter Jaguar Mark IV's were produced, 1,861 2.5 liters and 4,420 of the 3.5 liter models. The Mark IV featured a wheelbase of 112.5 inches, an overall length of 173.0 inches, and had a weight of 2,970 lbs.
• Pronounced Mark Four, the Jaguar Mark IV was a saloon vehicle built by Jaguar from 1945 through 1945, and was a re-launch of a pre WWII model produced by SS Car Ltd from 1936.The company was renamed Jaguar Cars Ltd. after the war. The nomenclature ‘Mark IV' was applied by the trade to simply differentiate it from the officially named Mark V. The Saloons were named SS Jaguar 1 ½ litre, 2 ½ liter or 3 ½ liter. The little two seater sports vehicle was called the SS Jaguar 100 2 ½ liter or 3 ½ liter.

1936 Jaguar SS 100

1936 Jaguar SS 100

Jaguar SS 100

Jaguar SS 100

Jaguar SS 100

Introduction:The SS 100 was designed by Sir William Lyons.The SS-100 was a lot of sports car for the money, yet only 116 of the 3.5 litre version and 198 of the 2.5 litre version were produced from 1936 to 1938.The SS100 was built between 1936 and 1940 by SS Cars Ltd of Coventry, England. The last one is though to have been delivered in 1941. In 1936 the name Jaguar was given to a new Saloon car and from then on to all the cars. Following the war, due to the connotations then attached to the initials SS, the company was renamed 'Jaguar'.

Specifications:Built on a 102-inch wheelbase, this car is powered by a 3.5 litre overhead valve, six cylinder engine that sports dual SU carburetors. The horsepower was rated at 125 at 4,350 rpm.'The Autocar' magazine reported the new 2.5-liter (20 Royal Automobile Club horsepower rating) car, with the windscreen lowered, to have a maximum speed of 95 mph and a zero-to-sixty mph time of 13.5 seconds. With the 3.5-liter (25 RAC hp rating) the top speed reached the magic 100 mph with a best of 101 mph over the quarter mile and the 0-60 mph coming down to 10.4 seconds.

Comparison:The SS100 had a similar underslung chassis similar to the SS90. The wheelbase measured 104 inches. Under the hood was a Standard six-cylinder engine with a new overhead valve design with aluminum pistons, augmented by a robust bottom end and seven main bears. With the help of two SU carburetors, the engine was capable of producing just over 100 horsepower at 4500RPM, compared to 68 horsepower.

Conclusion: This car, which came to be known as 'Old Number 8' was run very successfully at the Brooklands circuit by Wisdom and in the Shelsley Walsh hillclimb by Coventry garage and theatre owner, Sammy Newsome. A year later a team of three cars was entered by the factory in the RAC Rally, the premier rally event in Britain. The team, which included the Hon. Brian Lewis (later Lord Essendon) took the Manufacturer's Team Prize but outright success eluded them. Instead the event was won by a privately entered SS 100! A new, enlarged 31/2 litre engine had been developed and tested in 'Old Number 8'.

1935 Jaguar SS1

1935 Jaguar SS1

1935 Jaguar SS1

1935 Jaguar SS1

The Jaguar SS1 was produced from 1934 through 1936. These were a further evolution of William Lyons' Swallow coach-built bodies that had been used on various types of chassis during the late 1920s. Morris, Fiat, Austin, and Standard were a few of the automakers that commissioned the Swallow bodies.
The origination of the SS letters designated by Jaguar founder Sir William Lyons, has always been controversial. As his original firm was known as the 'Swallow Sidecar Company', that seems a logical explanation. The SS-100, was the first in a long line of high performance production cars that looked as fast as they went. They were one of the first cars to bear the Jaguar name, although at the time it was just a nameplate; it wouldn't become the corporation's umbrella brand name until after World War II.

The SS100 had a similar underslung chassis similar to the SS90. The wheelbase measured 104 inches. Under the hood was a Standard six-cylinder engine with a new overhead valve design with aluminum pistons, augmented by a robust bottom end and seven main bears. With the help of two SU carburetors, the engine was capable of producing just over 100 horsepower at 4500RPM, compared to 68 horsepower.

The engine was fitted to a four-speed gearbox with synchromesh engagement in the top three gears. 15-inch Girling aluminum drum brakes were rod-actuated and brought the 18-inch center-lock Dunlop racing wheels to a stop. The suspension was typical for the period, with semi-elliptic leaf springs at all four corners.
The SS100 soon earned a reputation for its performance and handling characteristics. Along with performance, the car had rakish good looks. The '100' in its name was supposed to represent its top speed, but in testing the car did not achieve this figure. Its top speed was close, at 95 mph. Zero-to-sixty was achieved at about 12 to 14 seconds.

Horsepower rose from 102 to 125 horsepower. A new transmission, driveshaft, and differential were added. The result was a zero-to-sixty time in just over 10 seconds and finally capable of topping the 100 mph barrier.
This is all about 1935 Jaguar SS1. I hope you like it.

1935 Jaguar SS90

1935 Jaguar SS90

1935 Jaguar SS90

1935 Jaguar SS90

1935 Jaguar SS90

The SS90 was the first true sports car produced by Jaguar.There were only 23 examples produced before the SS 100 was built.

This S.S. 90 prototype was built by William Lyons at the soon-to-be-renamed Jaguar factory as an experimental short wheelbase model with a standard in-line 2.6-liter, 6-cylinder engine producing around 90 bhp. The shortened chassis is based on a modified SS1 design. Production of the S.S. 90 started in 1935 adn around 25 cars were built before the appearance of the much more successful SS100 Jaguar. This prototype is easily distinguished by its sweeping rear bodywork, which was shortened for production. This car made its first appearance in the hands of Brian Lewis at the RAC Rally in 1935. It later appeared at the 1935 Shelsley Walsh Hill Climb. In 1938, it was owned by Hugh Kennard, a serving RAF Spitfire pilot stationed at Duxford, north of London during the Second World War. After several owners the car was bought by its current owner who had it restored.

This is all about Jaguar SS90 produced in 1935 as the first true sports car.

1934 Jaguar SS1

1934 Jaguar SS1

1934 Jaguar SS1

The SS cars were built on Swallow-designed frames to 'lower the standing height as much as possible,' as Sir William put it many years later. The Jaguar SS1 was produced from 1934 through 1936. These were a further evolution of William Lyons' Swallow coach-built bodies that had been used on various types of chassis during the late 1920s. Morris, Fiat, Austin, and Standard were a few of the automakers that commissioned the Swallow bodies.

In 1934 the SSI model line-up grew in versatility with the introduction of the 'four light' salon body. It was given this name due to its four side windows. Inside, it offered more room for the occupants then prior versions.

The engine was fitted to a four-speed gearbox with synchromesh engagement in the top three gears. 15-inch Girling aluminum drum brakes were rod-actuated and brought the 18-inch center-lock Dunlop racing wheels to a stop. The suspension was typical for the period, with semi-elliptic leaf springs at all four corners.
The SS100 soon earned a reputation for its performance and handling characteristics. Along with performance, the car had rakish good looks. The '100' in its name was supposed to represent its top speed, but in testing the car did not achieve this figure. Its top speed was close, at 95 mph. Zero-to-sixty was achieved at about 12 to 14 seconds.

Further work was done on the engine, increasing the bore from 73mm to 82mm, and the stroke received similar treatment, being stretched from 106 to 110mm. This resulted in a displacement size increase from 2664cc to 3486cc. Valve diameters expanded, connecting rods were a high-strength steel alloy, and the crankshaft turned in sturdier main bearings. The compression ratio was reduced from 7.6:1 to 7.2:1, and the engine's peak output rpm diminished slightly, thanks to the longer stroke—from 4,600 rpm to 4,250.

Horsepower rose from 102 to 125 horsepower. A new transmission, driveshaft, and differential were added. The result was a zero-to-sixty time in just over 10 seconds and finally capable of topping the 100 mph barrier.

The new 31/2 litre engine was fitted to the '100' model and this gave genuine sports car performance with sixty miles per hour reached from a standstill in 10.5 seconds and a top speed of over 100 mph. Automobile production ceased during the Second World War. At the conclusion of the War, Lyons dropped the 'SS' name and formed the Jaguar Marque.