Coys Auction - Spring Classics
Royal Horticultural Halls
Elverton St
Westminster
London SW1
Thursday 11 March 2010
Registration Number: FBO 184 Chassis Number: 520828
After SS Cars had safely established itself by using proprietary components in a bespoke body and chassis, the next obvious step was to make a move from being dependent on other makers. In 1935 the company took on Walter Haynes as chief designer and commissioned Harry Weslake to design a new pushrod overhead valve cylinder head for the sturdy Standard engines which it had been using. Three engines resulted, a four-cylinder unit of 1,775cc and two sixes, and they became the heart of a new range of cars known as SS Jaguars.
As usual, William Lyons came up with a series of stunning bodies, and while the best-known is the SS100 sports car, in their day the saloons received wider favour. They were the cars which really established SS, while the model name, Jaguar, struck a chord with the public. After the war, Jagu