1934 SS Cars SS1 Roadster

In 1934 William Walmsley, Chairman and Managing Director of SS Cars Ltd designed and had built a special SS for himself. It is built on a standard SS1 chassis and utilized the same car's 6-cylinder side valve engine but would be a true two-seater sports car with a disappearing convertible top and fold down windshield all to provide 'wind in your face' kind of motoring that Walmsley cherished from his motorcycle and Swallow Sidecar days.

This sleek new SS version, finished in Walmsley's favorite color, Olive green with matching Olive green leather interior, was completed in March 1934. True to his roots, Walmsley designed the body to be built out of aluminum, as were his beloved Swallow Sidecars. While utilizing the chassis of the SS1, the body was uniquely styled to reflect his own personal style and panache.

The Walmsley SS was cutting edge in many ways for 1934 - it came from the factory with chrome wire wheels, a very upmarket Ekco CR75 car radio and Andre Hartford adjustable shock absorber system; all very rare options to be found on any car of this period.

The significance of the Walmsley Roadster is not to be underestimated; it was the first sports car built by the company and its style set the standard for gracefully powerful sports cars for years to come. Further, the Walmsley Roadster ushered in the beginning of aluminum sports car production for SS Cars Ltd - later renamed Jaguar Cars - and helped establish the company as an industry leader in the use of the material.

The aluminum bodied Walmsley Roadster established a set of design queues that would be incorporated into future SS and Jaguar sports cars, including the SS90, SS1 Drop Head Coupe, SS100 and the post-war Jaguar XK120.

This car was likely among Walmsley's last designs under the SS roof. In 1935 Walmsley retired as Chairman and Managing Director leaving William Lyons, who later founded Jaguar Cars from SS, in charge.

The Walmsley SS1 Roadster essentially vanished from the known world until much later. Walmsley sold it to a US Army officer who brought it to America, in spring of 1956 when his tour of duty was up. In 1959, he sold it to a fellow officer. Both admired the car for what it was and both had dreams of restoring it to its former glory but it was not to be, at least not under their ownership.

40 years later, this unique, one-of-a-kind sports car was acquired and lovingly restored by the Beni Family of Westchester County, New York. Since most of those intervening years saw the car in storage in various stages of (dis) assembly, it was still complete down to its original engine, ash frame, alloy body and English registration plate KV 8011.

The 1934 SS1 Walmsley Roadster made its first and only public appearance at the 2016 Amelia Island Concours. After Amelia, the Walmsley Roadster returned to the most comprehensive private collection of pre-war SS Jaguars in the world.