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Meet the First Jaguar Sports Car Ever Built, Driven During the Battle of Britain

Now famous for a variety of sports cars, Jaguar first rose to fame in the late 1940s, when the XK120 set a new speed record for production cars. What followed was a string of successful road-going and race-spec cars, including the C-Type, D-Type, E-Type, and XK SS.
1935 Jaguar SS 90 prototype 7 photos
Photo: Lou Costabile/YouTube
1935 Jaguar SS 90 prototype1935 Jaguar SS 90 prototype1935 Jaguar SS 90 prototype1935 Jaguar SS 90 prototype1935 Jaguar SS 90 prototype1935 Jaguar SS 90 prototype
But the British company began manufacturing cars much earlier than that. It all started in the mid-1930s with the SS 90. And that car didn't have a "Jaguar" badge. You see, the business was founded as the Swallow Sidecar Company in 1922 and William Lyons retained a similar name when he formed S.S. Cars Limited in 1934.

Due to its unfortunate association with the nazis, the company dropped the SS name after World War II, renaming itself Jaguar Cars in 1945.

While most people know the SS 100 to be the very first Jaguar sports car, it was the SS 90 that started it all. While the former debuted in 1936 and remained in production until 1939, the SS 90 was built in a very small batch in late 1935.

Specifically, the company made 23 of them. And needless to say, the SS 90 is quite rare. But the car you're looking at is even more special because it's the prototype that kickstarted the SS 90 production run. Yes, this car soldiered on for almost 90 years and it's now a restored gem.

Granted, Jaguar enthusiasts could point out that the SS 1, introduced by Swallow Sidecar in 1931, is actually the first vehicle built by the company. That wouldn't be wrong, but the car you see here is the very first sports car made by the venture that went on to become Jaguar.

And this SS 90 prototype had quite a busy life. Its very early history is unknown, but the car was purchased by RAF pilot Hugh Kennard in 1938. And it seems that he drove the SS 90 during the war years, including while running missions during the Battle of Britain.

The car survived the war and changed several owners until 1961, when it was disassembled and sold to Jaguar SS expert Barber. The car sat in his workshop untouched until 1993, when he started the restoration. The SS 90 was sold again in 1996 after David's death and the restoration was completed in 1998.

Come 2022, and the SS 90 still looks the part and gets plenty of action on the road. And it seems that it also has a bit of racing history. Not only the first ever Jaguar, but this prototype was also the first factory competition car. The SS 90 was raced at the RAC Rally, Shelsey Walsh hill climb, and the Scottish Rally in 1935.

Get up close and personal with this unique piece of Jaguar history in the video below.

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About the author: Ciprian Florea
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Ask Ciprian about cars and he'll reveal an obsession with classics and an annoyance with modern design cues. Read his articles and you'll understand why his ideal SUV is the 1969 Chevrolet K5 Blazer.
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