The Swan Before the Cat: How the Stylish 1935 SS One Tourer Paved the Way for Jaguar.

The Swan Before the Cat: How the Stylish 1935 SS One Tourer Paved the Way for Jaguar.
The story of the 1935 SS One Tourer is not just a chapter in automotive history; it is the critical link between the Swallow Sidecar Company and the iconic brand we know today as Jaguar. Born during the Great Depression, the SS One was the brainchild of William Lyons, a man obsessed with elegant design and offering exceptional value for money. It was a car that looked like a million pounds but cost only a few hundred.
History and Evolution
The lineage begins with the original SS 1 model, introduced in 1931. While the car offered a long, low profile, Lyons was famously dissatisfied with its initial, somewhat ungainly styling. By 1933, he dramatically redesigned the car, giving it the flowing, elegant lines that would define the brand for decades. The chassis, supplied by the Standard Motor Company, was modified to be "underslung" at the rear, which allowed for a much lower roofline and a more streamlined silhouette—a hallmark of Lyons' design philosophy.
The Tourer body style, an open four-seater, was first offered in 1933 and quickly became one of the most attractive versions of the SS 1 series. By 1935, the year in question, the car was built by SS Cars Limited (a name change from Swallow Coachbuilding), and the model range had matured. The car's success was not based on breakneck speed, but on its stunning visual presence, which appeared far more expensive than its modest price tag, initially around £365. The 1935 model year also saw the introduction of new models that would, for the first time, bear the name "Jaguar"—but the SS One Tourer remained a stylish, popular component of the range.
The true breakthrough in 1935 came from engine tuning wizard Harry Weslake, who re-engineered the Standard-supplied, side-valve engine. His modifications significantly boosted performance, providing the car with the power to match its sporty looks and cementing the company's reputation for engineering excellence.
Technical Specifications (1935 SS One 20hp Tourer)
The 1935 SS One Tourer typically featured the larger of the two available six-cylinder engines, often referred to as the 20hp model (for tax purposes).
The heart of the car was a 6-cylinder, side-valve Standard Motor Company engine, though SS Cars and engineer Harry Weslake performed critical re-engineering. For the 1934–1936 models, the larger engine displacement was 2,663 cc (2.7 Litre). This unit produced approximately 68 bhp in standard form, though Weslake-tuned versions could achieve closer to 90–102 bhp, providing a notable bump in performance.
The engine was paired with a 4-speed manual transmission. Performance was respectable for the era, with a top speed of approximately 75 mph (121 km/h). However, the SS One was always known more as a stylish cruiser than an outright speed demon.
Key to its appearance was the underslung chassis, supplied by Standard but custom-designed to allow William Lyons to achieve the car's famously low-slung stance and long, elegant profile—the car measured roughly 15 feet 6 inches (4.72 m) in length. All models ran on classic wire wheels.
The 1935 SS One Tourer stands as a magnificent example of William Lyons' vision—an affordable, stylish, and remarkably well-proportioned sports car that, in essence, laid the entire foundation for the Jaguar marque's legendary design language.

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