SS Jaguar and Mark IV 1.5 Litre, 2.5 Litre and 3.5 Litre

SS Jaguar and Mark IV 1.5 Litre, 2.5 Litre and 3.5 Litre

SS Jaguar and Mark IV 1.5 Litre, 2.5 Litre and 3.5 Litre
Jaguar
aka	SS Mark IV
Production
Class	luxury
Body Style	4-door Saloon 2-door drophead coupe
Length	186 in. (4,720 mm)
Width	66 in. (1,680 mm)
Height
Wheelbase	120 in. (3,050 mm)
Weight
Transmission
Engine	3,485 cc I6
Power	125 hp @ N/A rpm N/A lb-ft of torque @ N/A rpm
Similar
Designer

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The new saloon from SS Cars, Ltd. for 1936 was the first model to be called the SS Jaguar. It was introduced on 24 September 1935 at a trade luncheon in the Mayfair Hotel in London. Company head William Lyons asked his secretary for a list of animal and bird names out of the dictionary, and he chose Jaguar as the name for his new model. At this time it was only the name of the model, not the company.

The new SS Jaguar was offered at first only with the 2.5 litre overhead valve engine on a 119" wheelbase chassis, along with a smaller 108" wheelbase version having a 1.5 litre side valve engine, for the 1936 and 1937 model years. In 1938 a 3.5 litre OHV engine was added to the model line, the car being otherwise identical to the 2.5 litre version. The 1.5 litre also became an OHV with increased displacement.

Body styled offered were a four door five passenger Saloon and a two door five passenger convertible Drop Head Coupe.

All three models continued in production until war production work intervened. The company made sidecars, utility trailers and airplane parts for the military.

The company name was changed in March 1945 to Jaguar Cars, Ltd.

Production resumed on all three Saloon models with the end of war production work, with no major changes to the cars, the SS hexagon logos on the grille, bumpers, wheel hubs and engine blocks being changed to read Jaguar within an elongated hexagon.

The model names were simply the engine sizes, 1-1/2 Litre, 2-1/2 Litre and 3-1/2 Litre.

The Drop Head Coupe production was resumed near the end of 1947.

Post-war cars came to be known by enthusiasts as the Mark IV after the next model, the Mark V, was introduced in September 1948.

See Autopedia's comprehensive <> Review.

Development Changes

Wheelbases were increased to 120" and 112.5" for the 1938 model year, and the 1.5 litre was given a larger more advanced OHV engine.

Initially a single side mounted spare tyre was provided, but this was later moved to below the luggage compartment.

Bodies were initially made by coachbuilding methods, aluminum panels over an ash wood frame. For 1938 the bodies were all steel construction.

Styles and Major Options

All three models were offered in the 4 door saloon and 2 door Drop Head Coupe body styles. A number of chassis were sent to various coachbuilders in the UK and Switzerland for special custom (bespoke) bodies.

A heater for the passenger compartment became available for the 1940 model year.

Pricing

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MODEL Trims
1.5 Litre '36-37 saloon, '38-40 saloon, '38-39 DHC	2.5 litre '36-37 saloon, '38-40 saloon, '38-39 DHC	3.5 Litre saloon, DHC '38-40	1.5, 2.5, 3.5 Litre saloons '45-48
MSRP
L285, L298, L318	L385, L395, L415	L445, L465	L684, L889, L991

Gas Mileage

1936-37 1.5 Litre - 26 miles per Imperial gallon

1938-48 1.5 Litre - 25 miles per Imperial gallon

1936-48 2.5 Litre - 19 miles per Imperial gallon

1938-48 3.5 Litre - 16 miles per Imperial gallon

Trim
Trim1	Trim2	Trim3	Trim4
MPG
c/h	c/h	c/h	c/h

Engine and Transmission

The 1.5 Litre was initially a 4 cylinder 1608cc side valve, but from 1938 was a 1776cc overhead valve. The 2.5 Litre was a 6 cylinder 2663cc overhead valve. The 3.5 Litre was a 6 cylinder 3485cc overhead valve.

Performance

The 1936-37 1.5 Litre maximum speed was 70 mph, and for '38-40 it was 71.7 mph.

The 1936-37 2.5 Litre maximum speed was 85.7 to 87.2 mph, and for '38-48 it was 87 mph.

The 1938-48 3.5 Litre maximum speed was 91.8 mph.

Brakes on all models were made by Girling and operated by rods.

Source of information - "Jaguar Saloon Cars" by Paul Skilleter

Reliability - Road testers of the period reported the cars to be reliable and good value for the money. Warranty was for six months.

Safety

The cars were provided with safety features of the period such as dipping headlamps, semifore trafficators and brake lights. Seat belts were unknown at this time.

Photos

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Colors

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Main Competitors

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Hybrid Models

During the war one car was tested with a coal gas propulsion system, anticipating a severe shortage of gasoline (petrol) in the UK.

Unique Attributes

Auto magazine writers of the period considered the SS Jaguars equal to Bentley in quality and a good value for the money.

Interior

The cars featured leather upholstery and burled walnut instrument panel and door trimmings. Road testers of the period reported them to be very comfortable.

Resale Values

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<MODEL> Year
Year X	Year X-2	Year X-3	Year X-4
Resale Value
$	$	$	$

Criticisms

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Generations

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Worldwide

The cars were offered in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and most other former British possessions. Other markets included many European and African countries. SS Cars Ltd. was unable to make much headway in the USA in the 1930s due to the fact of someone else having trademarked the initials SS and thus able to lay claim to all US sales of SS cars. After the war William Lyons himself took a leading hand in organizing the US dealership network.

Design quirks and oddities

Only right hand drive was offered before the war. After the war, success in the USA induced the company to produce left hand drive cars, which involved relocating the oil filter and air filter to provide clearance for a LHD steering column. Some cars had 7 inch sealed beam headlamps installed inside the 12 inch Lucas headlamp shells to comply with American preference.

Awards

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External Links

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