Details
1934 SS II FOUR SEAT TOURER
REGISTRATION NO. BMP 162
CHASSIS NO. 300604
ENGINE NO. DC312E
LIGHT BLUE OVER DARK WITH AQUAMARINE LEATHERETTE INTERIOR.
ENGINE: FOUR CYLINDER, SIDE VALVE, 1,608CC, 38BPH AT 4,000RPM; GEARBOX: FOUR SPEED MANUAL; BRAKES: FOUR WHEEL DRUM ; SUSPENSION: SEMI-ELLIPTIC. RIGHT HAND DRIVE.
THE FORERUNNER OF THE JAGUAR, SS CARS, MADE ITS SENSATIONAL DEBUT AT THE 1931 LONDON MOTOR SHOW. WILLIAM LYONS HAD PREVIOUSLY BUILT HIS STYLISH SWALLOW COACHWORK ON AN ASSORTMENT OF CHASSIS, BUT THE SS1 WAS A CASE OF A STYLIST SPECIFYING EXACTLY WHAT HE WANTED TO CREATE A COMPLETE HOMOGENOUS ENTITY. MANY OF THE COMPONENTS, INCLUDING ENGINE, CAME FROM THE STANDARD MOTOR CO., WHICH HELPED TO KEEP THE COST OF THE TOURER IN 1934 DOWN TO AN INCREDIBLE ¨340, OR ABOUT A QUARTER THAT OF AN EQUIVALENT BENTLEY, A MARQUE TO WHICH THE SS WAS OFTEN COMPARED.
AT THE INTRODUCTION OF THE SS LINE IN OCTOBER 1931, A SMALLER FOUR CYLINDER VERSION (THE SS1 BEING A SIX CYLINDER) KNOWN AS THE SSII WAS INTRODUCED. IT WAS BASED UPON THE STANDARD LITTLE NINE CHASSIS AND WAS OFFERED IN 1,006CC FORM IN ITS FIRST TWO YEARS. IN 1933, BOTH ENGINE AND FRAME WERE ALTERED, ENGINES WERE AVAILABLE IN 1,343CC AND 1,608CC AND THE CHASSIS WAS MODIFIED TO SWALLOW'S OWN SPECIFICATION. THIS LONGER LOW SLUNG CHASSIS ALSO ENABLED LONG FLOWING WINGS TO BE INTRODUCED WHICH HAD BECOME SO POPULAR ON THE SS1.
THIS ATTRACTIVE FOUR SEAT SSII TOURER WITH THE LARGE 1,608CC ENGINE IS A RARE SURVIVOR AS BETWEEN APRIL 1934 AND SEPTEMBER 1935 ONLY 186 WERE MADE. IT HAS BEEN IN THE SAME CURRENT FAMILY OWNERSHIP FOR WELL OVER 30 YEARS AND STRANGELY CAME INTO THEIR OWNERSHIP AS A BAD DEBT. IT WAS DRIVEN DOWN TO THE SOUTH COAST FROM THE NORTH AND BROKE DOWN, THE GARAGE OF THE BAKER FAMILY REPAIRED THE VEHICLE BUT THE OWNERS WERE UNABLE TO PAY FOR THE REPAIRS AND SO RETURNED HOME WITHOUT THE CAR! THE CAR LANGUISHED FOR MANY YEARS IN STORAGE AND EVENTUALLY IN 1973 MR BAKER AND HIS WIFE DECIDED TO RESTORE THE CAR FROM ITS VERY POOR STATE INDEED. THIS GRADUAL RESTORATION TOOK NEARLY 10 YEARS TO COMPLETE.
IN THE PAST FEW YEARS THE CAR HAS NOT BEEN USED ON THE ROAD BUT IT IS HOPED BY THE TIME OF THE AUCTION TO BE IN RUNNING CONDITION. GENERALLY THIS SSII TOURER APPEARS TO BE A SOUND EXAMPLE WHICH PERHAPS WOULD BENEFIT FROM SOME FURTHER COSMETIC RENOVATION WORK. FEATURES INCLUDE A GOOD HOOD AND SIDE SCREENS, CORRECT SS INSTRUMENTS (REPLACEMENT AMMETER), SUNBURST MOTIF ON THE DOOR TRIMS AND REAR MOUNTED SPARE WHEEL AND BUILT IN TRUNK. THIS IS CERTAINLY A VERY RARE EXAMPLE OF THE ELEGANT SSII TOURER MODEL.
REGISTRATION NO. BMP 162
CHASSIS NO. 300604
ENGINE NO. DC312E
LIGHT BLUE OVER DARK WITH AQUAMARINE LEATHERETTE INTERIOR.
ENGINE: FOUR CYLINDER, SIDE VALVE, 1,608CC, 38BPH AT 4,000RPM; GEARBOX: FOUR SPEED MANUAL; BRAKES: FOUR WHEEL DRUM ; SUSPENSION: SEMI-ELLIPTIC. RIGHT HAND DRIVE.
THE FORERUNNER OF THE JAGUAR, SS CARS, MADE ITS SENSATIONAL DEBUT AT THE 1931 LONDON MOTOR SHOW. WILLIAM LYONS HAD PREVIOUSLY BUILT HIS STYLISH SWALLOW COACHWORK ON AN ASSORTMENT OF CHASSIS, BUT THE SS1 WAS A CASE OF A STYLIST SPECIFYING EXACTLY WHAT HE WANTED TO CREATE A COMPLETE HOMOGENOUS ENTITY. MANY OF THE COMPONENTS, INCLUDING ENGINE, CAME FROM THE STANDARD MOTOR CO., WHICH HELPED TO KEEP THE COST OF THE TOURER IN 1934 DOWN TO AN INCREDIBLE ¨340, OR ABOUT A QUARTER THAT OF AN EQUIVALENT BENTLEY, A MARQUE TO WHICH THE SS WAS OFTEN COMPARED.
AT THE INTRODUCTION OF THE SS LINE IN OCTOBER 1931, A SMALLER FOUR CYLINDER VERSION (THE SS1 BEING A SIX CYLINDER) KNOWN AS THE SSII WAS INTRODUCED. IT WAS BASED UPON THE STANDARD LITTLE NINE CHASSIS AND WAS OFFERED IN 1,006CC FORM IN ITS FIRST TWO YEARS. IN 1933, BOTH ENGINE AND FRAME WERE ALTERED, ENGINES WERE AVAILABLE IN 1,343CC AND 1,608CC AND THE CHASSIS WAS MODIFIED TO SWALLOW'S OWN SPECIFICATION. THIS LONGER LOW SLUNG CHASSIS ALSO ENABLED LONG FLOWING WINGS TO BE INTRODUCED WHICH HAD BECOME SO POPULAR ON THE SS1.
THIS ATTRACTIVE FOUR SEAT SSII TOURER WITH THE LARGE 1,608CC ENGINE IS A RARE SURVIVOR AS BETWEEN APRIL 1934 AND SEPTEMBER 1935 ONLY 186 WERE MADE. IT HAS BEEN IN THE SAME CURRENT FAMILY OWNERSHIP FOR WELL OVER 30 YEARS AND STRANGELY CAME INTO THEIR OWNERSHIP AS A BAD DEBT. IT WAS DRIVEN DOWN TO THE SOUTH COAST FROM THE NORTH AND BROKE DOWN, THE GARAGE OF THE BAKER FAMILY REPAIRED THE VEHICLE BUT THE OWNERS WERE UNABLE TO PAY FOR THE REPAIRS AND SO RETURNED HOME WITHOUT THE CAR! THE CAR LANGUISHED FOR MANY YEARS IN STORAGE AND EVENTUALLY IN 1973 MR BAKER AND HIS WIFE DECIDED TO RESTORE THE CAR FROM ITS VERY POOR STATE INDEED. THIS GRADUAL RESTORATION TOOK NEARLY 10 YEARS TO COMPLETE.
IN THE PAST FEW YEARS THE CAR HAS NOT BEEN USED ON THE ROAD BUT IT IS HOPED BY THE TIME OF THE AUCTION TO BE IN RUNNING CONDITION. GENERALLY THIS SSII TOURER APPEARS TO BE A SOUND EXAMPLE WHICH PERHAPS WOULD BENEFIT FROM SOME FURTHER COSMETIC RENOVATION WORK. FEATURES INCLUDE A GOOD HOOD AND SIDE SCREENS, CORRECT SS INSTRUMENTS (REPLACEMENT AMMETER), SUNBURST MOTIF ON THE DOOR TRIMS AND REAR MOUNTED SPARE WHEEL AND BUILT IN TRUNK. THIS IS CERTAINLY A VERY RARE EXAMPLE OF THE ELEGANT SSII TOURER MODEL.