S-S- CARS: FIRST JAGUAR SALOON

WHEN PERTH'S GRANT PIERCE BOUGHT A 1937 1.5 LITRE S.S. JAGUAR IN THE UK HE DIDN'T FULLY APPRECIATE HOW SPECIAL IT WAS. HE SAYS HE DIDN'T WANT TO FALL IN LOVE WITH IT - BUT IS NOW SMITTEN WITH PERHAPS THE FINEST ORIGINAL EXAMPLE IN THE WORLD.

GRANT PIERCE IN PERTH IS NOT an old car guy, generally speaking. But in 2017 he found and bought a 1937 S.S. Jaguar 1.5 Litre in the UK. He told us he didn't want to fall in love with it but, of course, has done just that!

It is no wonder either. The car is in remarkable unrestored condition, and very likely the best original car of the model. Grant has all of the 84-year history to help with its fascinating story.

Added to that, the car was the first saloon built by William Lyons to be titled a 'Jaguar'. It was built by his S.S. Cars business at Foleshill in Coventry and was the new S.S. 'Jaguar'. From little things ...

He styled the car too in his usual and quite astounding (for the CEO of a manufacturer) practice. It could be ordered with the smaller four-cylinder 1.5 litre side-valve engine, or the larger six cylinder 2.5 litre overhead valve powerplant. There would be a 3.5 litre too from 1938.

Initially these four door Jaguars were built using the traditional methods of alloy and steel panels laid across an ash wood framework. By 1938 that had moved over to all steel body production. The company also produced a range of two-door Drop Head Coupé models based on the same cars.

The 1935-'37 models had a single passenger-side mounted spare tyre. The 1938-'40 range had the tyre under the boot in a compartment.

The front sidelights on early cars are a separate chrome unit, but on later models were welded, as part of a pod, onto the mudguard and blended with lead filling.

Horns are obvious, mounted on the bumper or under the headlights. The larger models are fitted with fog lights.