1938 Jaguar XK

Make: Jaguar

Model: SS 2 ½ Litre DHC

Year: 1938

Price: $165,000

Gearbox: Manual

Steering Wheel: Right-hand drive

Impressive Jaguar SS in perfect condition. Right-hand drive. Belgian papers. Very extensive historical file. Restoration photos. Buff log book and manual. Drophead Coupe.

The SS Jaguar 100 is a British 2-seat sports car built between 1936 and 1941 by SS Cars Ltd in Coventry. The company's name, SS Cars, was used from 1934 to maintain a link to the previous owner, Swallow Sidecar, founded in 1922 by Walmsley and Lyons to build motorcycle sidecars. In March 1945, the shareholders agreed to change the company name to Jaguar Cars Ltd.

In the 1930s, adopting an animal name was deemed appropriate, and the model name "Jaguar" was given to a new SS saloon car in 1935, then to all new SS models. The '100' indicated a theoretical maximum speed of 100 mph. This naming convention continued with the XK 120 (120 mph), XK 140 (140 mph), and XK 150 (150 mph).

In mid-1936, the first version of the Jaguar mascot was described by Sir William Lyons as "looking like a cat shot off a fence." A later publicity photograph of the Model 100 "Jaguar" (registration CKV 250) parked outside SS Cars Ltd offices in early 1937 shows a revised 'leaper' mounted on the radiator cap. This stylized 'leaper' became the trademark for Jaguar Cars, remaining in use today.

Specifications:

Bodywork length: 452 cm (178 in)

Width: 170 cm (67 in)

Wheelbase: 305 cm (120 in)

Weight: 1524 kg (3360 lb)

Displacement: 2664 cc (162 cu in) straight-six, front-mounted

Valve gear: 12 valves

Fuel system: 2 SU carburetors

Gearbox: 4-speed manual

Drive wheels: Rear-wheel drive

Maximum power: 103 bhp at 4500 rpm

Maximum speed: 145 km/h (90 mph)