In the first Year of Production
Three additional variations, the drophead coupe (convertible), “Airline” sedan, and short-wheelbase SS90 two-seat roadster, bangkok condo for sale by owner – bangkok.thaibounty.com – were produced during the 1935-1936 period. A second line, the SS2, was also revealed in 1931. Smaller and less powerful — it had a 1.0-liter inline four under its short hood — the SS2 was considerably less expensive (£210 at introduction) than the SS1. Lyons considered the fastback “Airline” a failure in design terms (it was slightly awkward-looking from the rear) but it sold fairly well.
This move, which would ultimately cut production costs dramatically, nearly drove SS Jaguar into bankruptcy. The work necessary to salvage the panels — and corrective measures taken by suppliers — slowed production to a crawl, and sent profits plummeting. Stamped body panels were provided by several companies, and when the early pieces were set up on jigs to be welded into units, they didn’t line up. But customers were still eager to buy when the problems were at last corrected. The 1938-1939 season was very good for SS Jaguar; the entry-level 1 1/2-liter, now with an ohv engine, was the top seller, but sedans and SS100s with 2 1/2-liter and 3 1/2-liter engines were turned out in substantial numbers as well.
But the move was made (to a building formerly used to fill artillery shells with explosives) and production was increased to some 50 cars per week. Lyons, unsure of Herbert Austin’s continued willingness to make bare Seven chassis available, began to look at other cars suitable for the Swallow treatment. The Morris connection had not worked out, due in part to the emergence of the Morris-based MG, but Lyons arranged with the Glasgow Fiat dealer to rebody some obsolete and slow-selling Fiat 509As in 1929. Perhaps as many as 100 of these were built. A like number of Swift-Swallows were built in 1930 and perhaps 500 Wolseley-Swallows were produced the same year.
No one knows for sure. In the first year of production, only the coupe — powered by either a 2.1- or 2.6-liter inline-six engine — was offered, at £310 and £320, respectively. It was joined in 1933 by a four-seat sports tourer (priced £15 more than the first-year cars). These modifications, plus a few subtle alterations to the fenders, improved the SS1’s appearance. Its frame had been lengthened slightly and was under-slung at the rear. For 1933, there was a “second-series” SS1.
