SS Cars
Corporate brand
UnclaimedBritish manufacturer whose SS-branded sports and saloon cars became the foundation of Jaguar.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
SS Cars was a British automobile manufacturer that operated from the interwar period until the interruption of civilian car production in 1940. Its origins lay in the Swallow Sidecar Company, the business founded in 1922 by William Lyons and William Walmsley. The original enterprise made stylish sidecars for motorcycles, but it progressively moved into coachbuilding and the production of complete cars. Lyons supplied the design direction and commercial leadership, while the company generally relied on chassis, engines, and running gear from established manufacturers, especially the Standard Motor Company. Swallow expanded beyond sidecars during the second half of the 1920s. In 1927 it advertised two-seater bodies for Austin and Morris chassis, and it subsequently worked with Austin, Standard, Fiat, and Wolseley components. The company moved from Blackpool to Coventry during the winter of 1928–29, placing itself closer to Britain's established motor-manufacturing infrastructure. A collaboration between Lyons and Standard executive John Black also produced an experimental sports car in 1929, anticipating the company's later interest in performance-oriented automobiles. The first complete SS-branded models appeared at the 1931 Motor Show. The SS 1 used a six-cylinder engine and the SS 2 used a smaller four-cylinder unit. Public sales began in 1932, initially with coupé and tourer body styles, followed by saloons. The cars were notable for their long, low proportions and relatively accessible prices. Their appearance attracted attention, although some contemporary enthusiasts considered them more visually impressive than mechanically fast. This criticism encouraged Lyons to strengthen the company's engineering capability. A major transition occurred in 1934 and 1935. S. S. Cars Limited acquired the shares of Swallow Coachbuilding Limited in July 1934, and the Swallow company was subsequently liquidated before S. S. Cars issued shares to the public in January 1935. Walmsley sold his remaining interest in January 1935, leaving Lyons in effective control. In March 1935 the company introduced its first limited-production open sports car, the SS 90. Later that year, newly developed models adopted the Jaguar name, creating the SS Jaguar identity that would lead directly to the postwar Jaguar marque. Engineering improvements by William Heynes and Harry Weslake transformed the company's performance. Weslake developed an overhead-valve cylinder head for the six-cylinder Standard-based engine, while Heynes served as chief engineer. The resulting SS Jaguar 2½-litre saloon, unveiled in September 1935, combined strong performance and distinctive styling with a price far below that of many prestigious competitors. The SS Jaguar 100 sports car followed in 1936 and offered claimed 100 mph performance. The range expanded to include 1½-litre, 2½-litre, and 3½-litre saloons and drophead coupés, with all-steel construction adopted for the larger cars in 1938. Civilian automobile production ended in 1940 during the Second World War. After the war, company shareholders approved a name change to Jaguar Cars Limited on 23 March 1945. The change removed the SS designation, which had acquired undesirable wartime associations, and established Jaguar as the company's principal identity. The immediate postwar saloons were marketed simply as Jaguars. SS Cars is therefore best understood as the pre-1945 corporate and product identity from which Jaguar Cars emerged, rather than as a continuing independent postwar brand.
History
SS Cars developed from the Swallow Sidecar Company, established in 1922 by William Lyons and William Walmsley in Blackpool. The business initially specialized in motorcycle sidecars, whose distinctive styling helped establish the Swallow name. It later applied the same design-led approach to automobile bodies, advertising two-seater bodies for Austin and Morris chassis in 1927. By the end of the decade the company had moved operations to Coventry, the centre of Britain's motor industry, and was working with components from several vehicle manufacturers. The company's relationship with the Standard Motor Company became increasingly important. A 1929 experimental sports car built with the involvement of Lyons and Standard's John Black anticipated the SS marque's later sports-car program. In 1931 Swallow exhibited the SS 1 and an SS 2 prototype. The production SS 1 and SS 2 reached the market in 1932, using Standard-supplied mechanical components beneath bodies styled under Lyons's direction. Their long, low appearance and competitive prices helped the company survive the economic difficulties of the 1930s, even though critics sometimes regarded the cars as stronger in appearance than performance. The business was reorganized as S. S. Cars Limited. It acquired Swallow Coachbuilding Limited in July 1934, and Swallow was later liquidated before S. S. Cars issued shares publicly in January 1935. Walmsley disposed of his shareholding in January 1935, leaving Lyons as the dominant figure. In March 1935 the company launched the SS 90, a short-wheelbase open two-seater based on SS components. Only a small number were built. Lyons responded to performance criticism by bringing in William Heynes as chief engineer and Harry Weslake to improve the six-cylinder engine. Weslake's overhead-valve cylinder-head design significantly increased output. The resulting SS Jaguar cars were introduced in September 1935, and the Jaguar name rapidly became central to the company's identity. The range included 1½-litre four-cylinder models and larger 2½-litre six-cylinder saloons and drophead coupés. In 1936 the SS Jaguar 100 expanded the sports-car offering, while later versions used larger engines. In 1938, larger saloons moved from coachbuilt construction to all-steel bodies and a 3½-litre model joined the range. Production of civilian cars ended in 1940. After the war, shareholders changed the company's name to Jaguar Cars Limited on 23 March 1945. The SS designation disappeared from the principal vehicle names, and the postwar saloons were sold as Jaguars. The SS Cars story consequently forms the formative prehistory of Jaguar: it combines Swallow's coachbuilding origins, Lyons's styling and commercial direction, Standard-based engineering, and the introduction of the Jaguar name before the company adopted Jaguar as its corporate identity.
- 1945
Renamed Jaguar Cars Limited
[1]The company formally adopted the Jaguar Cars Limited name.
- 1940
Civilian car production discontinued
[1]Automobile production stopped during wartime conditions.
- 1938
All-steel saloons and 3½-litre model added
[1]Larger saloons adopted all-steel construction and the range gained a 3½-litre six-cylinder model.
- 1936
SS Jaguar 100 introduced
[1]The SS Jaguar 100 became the company's best-known open two-seat sports car.
- 1935
SS Jaguar name launched
[1]The SS Jaguar name appeared on new saloons and sports cars, beginning the transition toward the Jaguar marque.
- 1934
Corporate consolidation
[1]S. S. Cars Limited acquired Swallow Coachbuilding Limited and reorganized the business around the SS automobile operation.
- 1932
First SS cars sold to the public
[1]The SS 1 and SS 2 entered public availability in coupé and tourer forms.
- 1931
SS 1 and SS 2 introduced
[1]Swallow displayed the SS 1 and an SS 2 prototype, establishing its own branded automobile range.
- 1928
Move to Coventry begins
[1]The company began relocating from Blackpool to a former munitions facility at Foleshill in Coventry.
- 1927
Automobile body production advertised
[1]Swallow advertised two-seater bodies for Austin and Morris chassis, broadening its role from sidecar maker to automobile coachbuilder.
Products and positioning
Distinctively styled, performance-oriented cars offering the visual presence and sporting character of expensive automobiles at comparatively moderate prices.
Sports saloon and tourer · 1932
SS 1
Introduced in 1931 and sold from 1932, the SS 1 was a six-cylinder car using Standard-supplied mechanical components and a Swallow-styled body. It was offered initially as a coupé or tourer and later as a saloon. Engine sizes included approximately 2.0-litre and 2.5-litre variants. The model established the long, low visual treatment that became characteristic of the SS range.
Small sports car and tourer · 1932
SS 2
The SS 2 was the smaller four-cylinder companion to the SS 1. It began with a roughly 1.0-litre side-valve engine and later used larger four-cylinder capacities. The model extended SS Cars' design-led approach into a more compact and accessible car, while retaining the company's characteristic body styling and use of Standard-related components.
Open two-seat sports car · 1935
SS 90
Introduced in March 1935, the SS 90 was the company's first open two-seat sports car. Its name referred to a claimed top speed of 90 mph. It used a 2.5-litre six-cylinder side-valve engine in a shortened chassis. Production was highly limited, with only 23 examples made, making it an important developmental predecessor to the SS Jaguar 100.
Open two-seat sports car · 1936
SS Jaguar 100
The SS Jaguar 100 was the company's principal high-performance sports car. Produced from 1936, it used six-cylinder engines of approximately 2.5 and 3.5 litres and was associated with a claimed 100 mph top speed. The compact roadster combined sporting proportions with the company's developing performance engineering and became one of the most recognizable products of the prewar Jaguar lineage.
Sports saloon and drophead coupé · 1935
SS Jaguar 1½-litre
The 1½-litre SS Jaguar was the smaller four-cylinder member of the saloon and drophead coupé range introduced under the Jaguar name. Later versions used a larger overhead-valve four-cylinder engine and shared much of the visual treatment of the six-cylinder cars while using a shorter chassis. It remained in production until civilian automobile manufacturing ended in 1940.
Sports saloon and drophead coupé · 1935
SS Jaguar 2½-litre
The 2½-litre SS Jaguar was the breakthrough model of the range. Unveiled in September 1935, it used a Weslake-developed overhead-valve cylinder head on a Standard-based six-cylinder engine. Its combination of elegant styling, improved performance, and a comparatively low selling price gave the company a strong response from the press and motor trade. It was offered as a four-door saloon and two-door drophead coupé.
Sports saloon and drophead coupé · 1938
SS Jaguar 3½-litre
Added in 1938, the 3½-litre SS Jaguar was the largest-engined version of the saloon and drophead coupé family. It shared the general body and chassis design of the 2½-litre car but required a wider radiator. The model represented SS Cars' move toward larger and more prestigious touring automobiles before wartime production ended.
Motorcycle sidecars · 1922
Swallow motorcycle sidecars
Before becoming a car manufacturer, the business built stylish motorcycle sidecars under the Swallow name. Sidecars remained part of the wider Swallow business and were later produced by a subsidiary after the automobile company adopted the Jaguar name. This early activity supplied the design and coachbuilding experience from which SS Cars developed.
Brand decisions
1945
Corporate name changed to Jaguar Cars LimitedStrategyBackground
After wartime production ended, the SS designation was considered unsuitable for the company's postwar identity and could be confused with an unrelated foreign association.
Action taken
Shareholders approved changing S. S. Cars Limited to Jaguar Cars Limited on 23 March 1945.
Aftermath
Postwar cars were marketed as Jaguars, and the SS Cars identity ceased to be the company's principal commercial brand.
1935
Launch of the SS Jaguar 2½-litreProduct launchBackground
SS Cars sought to answer criticism that its earlier cars emphasized appearance more than performance. William Heynes and Harry Weslake were engaged to improve the six-cylinder powertrain.
Action taken
The company introduced a Weslake-developed overhead-valve engine in the SS Jaguar 2½-litre saloon and positioned it as a high-quality, high-performance car at a moderate price.
Aftermath
The model received an enthusiastic response from the trade and public and made the Jaguar name central to the company's future identity.
United Kingdom launch price. £395 (1935 launch)
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