SS 90
Encyclopedia
The SS90 was a British sports car first built by SS Cars Ltd
in Coventry
, England in 1935. In 1945 the company changed its name to Jaguar Cars Ltd.
The car used a six-cylinder side-valve
Standard
engine of 2663 cc with an output of 68 bhp. The engine differed from the one used in the ordinary cars by having Dural connecting rods, an aluminium cylinder head with 7:1 compression ratio, and twin RAG carburettors. At 8 in 8 in (2.64 m) in length the chassis was a shortened version of the one used on the SS 1
, and was also supplied by Standard. Suspension was by half-elliptical springs all round, with an underslung back axle. The braking system was Bendix.
The cars rapidly gained attention for their elegant sporting styling, but were not well regarded by the sporting fraternity as their performance did not match their appearance. True sports car performance had to wait for the SS 100, which had similar styling and suspension but an engine fitted with an overhead-valve cylinder head.
The SS 90 does not seem to have been tested independently by any magazines, therefore contemporary performance figures are unknown, but it was widely believed to be capable of reaching 90 mi/h. In 1932 the basic tourer cost £395. Twenty-three were made.
The car was 12 in 6 in (3.81 m) long and 5 in 3 in (1.6 m) wide and weighed typically 2519.9 pounds (1,143 kg). The prototype SS 90, ARW395, was owned by Hugh Kennard
from 1938 until at least November 1940. The prototype is one of the surviving cars.
SS Cars Ltd
SS Cars Ltd was a British car maker. It grew out of the Swallow Sidecar Company and was first registered under the new name in 1934. Some conjecture to the origins of the SS name exist, It was John Black who when asked the meaning of SS said it has always stood for Standard Swallow...
in Coventry
Coventry
Coventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom. It is also the second largest city in the English Midlands, after Birmingham, with a population of 300,848, although...
, England in 1935. In 1945 the company changed its name to Jaguar Cars Ltd.
The car used a six-cylinder side-valve
Flathead engine
A flathead engine is an internal combustion engine with valves placed in the engine block beside the piston, instead of in the cylinder head, as in an overhead valve engine...
Standard
Standard Motor Company
The Standard Motor Company was founded in Coventry, England in 1903 by Reginald Walter Maudslay . The Standard name was last used in Britain in 1963, and in India in 1987.-1903–1914:...
engine of 2663 cc with an output of 68 bhp. The engine differed from the one used in the ordinary cars by having Dural connecting rods, an aluminium cylinder head with 7:1 compression ratio, and twin RAG carburettors. At 8 in 8 in (2.64 m) in length the chassis was a shortened version of the one used on the SS 1
SS 1
The SS1 was a British sports car first built by the Swallow Sidecar Company in Coventry, England. It was first presented at the 1931 London Motor Show and was produced between 1932 and 1936...
, and was also supplied by Standard. Suspension was by half-elliptical springs all round, with an underslung back axle. The braking system was Bendix.
The cars rapidly gained attention for their elegant sporting styling, but were not well regarded by the sporting fraternity as their performance did not match their appearance. True sports car performance had to wait for the SS 100, which had similar styling and suspension but an engine fitted with an overhead-valve cylinder head.
The SS 90 does not seem to have been tested independently by any magazines, therefore contemporary performance figures are unknown, but it was widely believed to be capable of reaching 90 mi/h. In 1932 the basic tourer cost £395. Twenty-three were made.
The car was 12 in 6 in (3.81 m) long and 5 in 3 in (1.6 m) wide and weighed typically 2519.9 pounds (1,143 kg). The prototype SS 90, ARW395, was owned by Hugh Kennard
Hugh Kennard
Wing Commander Hugh Charles Kennard, DFC was a Royal Air Force pilot during World War II and later an entrepreneur in civil aviation.-Personal life:...
from 1938 until at least November 1940. The prototype is one of the surviving cars.