1937 SS Jaguar 2½-Litre Sports Saloon
British automotive history took a dramatic turn when a four-door saloon priced at £395 (about $2,000) stunned industry experts who had predicted it would cost over £600 (about $3,000).
Launched in September 1935, the SS Jaguar 2½-Litre Sports Saloon became one of the first models to use the Jaguar name, establishing the foundation for what would become one of Britain’s most celebrated marques.
The “SS” in the name stands for “Swallow Sidecar,” the original company founded by William Lyons in 1922. By the 1930s, the company was known as SS Cars Ltd., and “Jaguar” was introduced as a model name in 1935 to evoke speed, elegance, and power.
Thus, in 1937, the car was officially marketed as the SS Jaguar 2½-Litre Sports Saloon, with “SS” as the brand and “Jaguar” as the model.
William Lyons crafted the car’s elegant proportions with a long hood and streamlined coachwork that combined sporting appeal with four-door practicality. The early models featured traditional coachbuilt construction with wood frames and alloy panels before transitioning to all-steel bodies in 1938.
Under the hood sat a 2,663cc (2.7-liter) six-cylinder engine developed with input from consultant Harry Weslake, featuring an overhead-valve cylinder head that produced 102 horsepower (a significant improvement over the previous 70 horsepower side-valve unit).
Twin SU carburetors fed the powerplant, delivering genuine sports performance in an affordable package. The car weighed approximately 1,452 kg (3,200 lbs).
After World War II, the company changed its name to Jaguar Cars Limited in 1945, abandoning the “SS” designation due to its unfortunate associations with Nazi Germany.
From that point forward, “Jaguar” became both the brand and the model name, but the legacy of the SS Jaguar helped establish Jaguar’s enduring reputation for style and performance.
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