.
SS 90
| SS 90 | |
|---|---|
| SS Cars Ltd | |
| aka | |
| Production | 1935 (23 units) |
| Class | Sports |
| Body Style | 4 seat Coupé |
| Length | 2640mm |
| Width | 1600mm |
| Height | |
| Wheelbase | |
| Weight | ~816kg |
| Transmission | |
| Engine | 2.6-litre six-cylinder |
| Power | 75 hp |
| Similar | Jaguar SS100 |
| Designer | |
The SS90 was a British sports car 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, mildly modified to increase power from 68 bhp to around 75 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. The 8 feet 8 inch (2640mm) 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 underslung back axle. The braking system was Bendix.
The cars rapidly gained attention for their elegant sporting styling, being extremely low with wide stylish wings. Only the prototype had a well finished, rounded tail with the spare wheel concealing the petrol tank which was contained within the bodywork. All production S.S.90s featured an exposed tank and wheel, the original design probably being dispensed with on the grounds of cost.
Although the cars sold for a competitive £395, considerably cheaper than the Frazer Nash and Aston Martin models, they were not well regarded by the sporting fraternity as their performance was not up to their appearance. True sports car performance had to wait for the SS 100 with similar styling and suspension but with the engine fitted with an overhead valve cylinder head.
The SS 90 does not seem to have been tested independently by any magazines so contemporary performance figures are not known, but was widely believed to be capable of reaching 90 mph.
In all, twenty three SS90s were made.
The car was 12 feet 6 inches long and 5 feet 3 inches wide and weighed typically 18 cwt.
References
- Jaguar Enthusiasts: SS90 & SS Jaguar 100 (Retrieved 13 September 2007)
- Wikipedia: SS 90, which includes these contributors.
