1936 SS Cars SS 100 Roadster Tourer

This SS-100 Jaguar Roadster was built prior to World War II by the SS Car Company of Great Britain. With the SS name having an unsavory connotation, SS Cars took on the model name and, hence became Jaguar.

The SS 100 was designed by Sir William Lyons. Built on a 102-inch wheelbase, this car is powered by a 3.5 litre overhead-valve, six-cylinder engine that sports dual SU carburetors. The horsepower was rated at 125 at 4,350 rpm.

The SS-100 was a lot of sports car for the money, yet only 116 of the 3.5 litre version and 198 of the 2.5 litre version were produced from 1936 to 1938.

'The Autocar' magazine reported the new 2.5-liter (20 Royal Automobile Club horsepower rating) car, with the windscreen lowered, to have a maximum speed of 95 mph and a zero-to-sixty mph time of 13.5 seconds. With the 3.5-liter (25 RAC hp rating) the top speed reached the magic 100 mph with a best of 101 mph over the quarter mile and the 0-60 mph coming down to 10.4 seconds.

Widely considered to be one of the most aesthetically pleasing Jaguar cars, it is also one of the rarest with only 198 of the 2.5-liter and 116 of the 3.5-liter models being made.

This 1936 Jaguar SS100 is powered by a 3,486cc overhead valve inline six-cylinder engine with twin SU carburetors and delivers 125 horsepower at 4,500 PRM. There is a four-speed manual gearbox, four-wheel Girling mechanical drum brakes, and a live rear axle with semi-elliptical leaf springs and adjustable friction dampers.

This SS100 originally wore a Silver Metallic exterior paint scheme with a Power Blue interior and was equipped with a 2.5-liter engine. It was originally to an Eli Toft in Wolverhampton, England, and by 1951, it was advertised for sale for £295, painted red, and fitted with a 3 1/2-litre engine.

By the mid-1960s, the 'Jaguar' was in the care of Eric Hook, who imported the car into California and gave it a restoration.

Don Marsh acquired this vehicle in 1998 and restored it in 1996. In Mr. Marsh's care, the Jaguar received cosmetic attention and mechanical enhancements, including an engine and gearbox rebuild and the fitment of an aluminum radiator and fuel cell.

By Daniel Vaughan | Mar 2025