Jaguar

The history of the company is directly, and was for decades, linked to that of William Lyons, the son of an Irish musician. He was born and grew up in Blackpool, an Irish sea bathing resort on the west coast of England, north of Liverpool, where his parents carried out a successful music business.

Rather uninspired, the young Lyons started a sort of education at Crossley in Manchester, where he also for a time, went to college. After a relatively short period, he returned to the family business. There, in the beginning, he worked in a small Sunbeam agency as a salesman. After a while, he could afford to buy a small car, was however, more taken with the motorcycles of the time. Thus, from 1921 he hung around, and shared his hobby with the son of a coal-wholesaler, who had recently moved into the area. Not only did William Walmsley have the nicer machine, he was the more technically talented and was almost idolised by Lyons. What was important for the progress of history, is that Lyons, although at the time not very successful in his profession, also had certain talents which seemed to fit in with those of Walmsley.

The two came together through the manufacture of motorcycle side-cars, which Walmsley was already selling. Thereby, the aluminium sheeting fastened to Ash-wood frames, would accompany us for quite some time. The side-cars had an elegant appearance, more fitting to a high performance motorcycle than the rough-cut constructions of the competition. As one can imagine, with the financial support of their parents, the two middle-class youths joined up with each other and the sales were boosted, in particular by Lyons. By the way, they were called Swallow Sidecars even before the company was founded in 1922.

The company would keep that name up to the end of the second world war. After that it was finally called Jaguar, which up until then was the name given to one of their vehicle models. The abbreviation 'SS' had become unacceptable through the association with the horrors of the Nazi regime. Before the actual Jaguar family was established, the company would undergo at least two decisive changes. Lyons would be able to demonstrate his skills as a salesman more and more. What is meant here, is not necessarily the ability to sell cars to men (later also to women), but rather the ability to predict the public taste and to guide and motivate his own staff.

Thus, the fortunes of the Swallow Sidecars company took an excedingly pleasing course. Walmsley apparently looked after the production side, and Lyons took care of the sales. Pretty soon Walmsley's production couldn't keep up the pace, the products were being shown more and more at the trade-fairs and in the meantime, were also accepted by the important motorcycle brand-names. The first production plant was abandoned and they moved into larger premises which were bought by Walmsley's father. In the meantime, Lyons also got married.

The success of side-cars, must today, be put into perspective. Real cars, particularly as far as motorisation in post-war England (somewhat lagging) was concerned, could only be afforded and bought by prosperous people. Motorcycles were cheaper and above all, as far as the power-to-weight ratio was concerned, clearly superior to cars in the lower price-range. After starting a family, the temporary, (or permanent) mounting of a side-car to the motorcycle was the favoured solution. Added to all this, was that the economic recovery in post-war England was a slow, uphill battle.

In both cases, after the two world wars there were car manufacturers, who bowed to the unfavourable economic situation by offering especially reasonable models. In Europe some examples named were, Peugeot in France, Opel in Germany and also Austin in England. Austin was particularly successful, which one can recognise by the fact that the newly conceived 1922 Austin Seven e.g., belonged to the foundation estate of BMW. It was a very simplistic construction with a small engine and only two crankshaft bearings. Looking at it today, it seems very odd indeed.

What does all this have to do with Lyons and Walmsleys company? Well, the manufacturing of a side-car is basically, not all that different from that of a complete body, which was developed, at first as an experiment, in the new premises. This increased the impression made by the Austin Seven enormously. Also, there where a larger market for very reasonable cars is, can the somewhat better models also be sold. With a rounded radiator-grill and also otherwise less angular shape, would the first four-wheel product be successful, despite it's distinctly higher price-tag.

At this point, another of William Lyons talents appeared, not only was he able to foresee the acceptance of a new shape, but could also estimate the cost so that the market success was almost automatic. This is also why cost reduction in the production was also his first and foremost concern, if, i.e. he was not occupied at the time with new best-sellers. In any event, still today, the Austin Swallow is mostly mentioned when speaking of the legendary Seven. Indeed, the production areas had expanded quite a lot. At any rate, only the chassis and drive-train were delivered, the body, not only of the saloon but also an (even more attractive) open-car was fitted in the factory, from then onwards the radiator-grill would be decorated with a stylistic swallow.

It would remain this way, so much so, that his competitors would ask themselves how he could stay in business with these prices. One can imagine, what sort of effect this would have on the later manufactured, noble sports cars. Indeed, a really big profit would probably never be realised. One has to give it some thought: Lyons offered an optically clearly improved model, which was only 17% more expensive than the standard, which of course, was much larger. One only has to imagine, what e.g., a Karmann Ghia cost in comparison to the Beetle. No wonder this branch of business was successful, after the 1927 convertible and the 1928 saloon, other cars were also refined, e.g., the Fiat 508, also a mass product, belonging however, rather to the middle class.

There was still a further parallelism. For a company to be really successful, a bulk buyer mostly appears and orders a number of cars all at once, of course under certain conditions, as it was around the turn of the century with the Daimler company in the shape of the Consul Jellinek. In this case it was the biggest dealer in Great Britain, who ordered 500 Austin Swallows in one sweep. By the way, at this point differences between Lyons and Walsley were already beginning to manifest themselves, Walmsley was not really prepared to carry the risk. Indeed, it was to become 'worse'. After moving premises once again, this time to Coventry, the production was continued, allegedly with an additional 1000 (!) workers.

Coventry was known to the older people because of the disastrous German air-raids during the second world war, which led to the reaction of 'blanket-bombing' of almost all the larger cities in north- and central Germany in thecourse of the war years. Coventry, with its population of approx. 300.000 lies in the middle of England and up to shortly before the turn of the century, it was the home of at least 10 British motor-car manufacturers. Jaguar was to become so famous in this context, that later, when one spoke of 'Coventry', the Jaguar works were meant.

In the meantime, not only Austin- and Fiat cars were provided with Swallow-coachwork, but also Morris, Wolseley, Swift and Standard, whereby the latter played an important role in the further development of the company. This second, big step in the development was slowly coming to an end. Lyons wanted to build complete cars. To do this he needed a chassis, The whereby, we must bear in mind, that not only a frame is meant. Basically, what was needed was a finished, ready to drive car, where only the bodywork was missing. At the moment however, the frame was adapted to fit in with the special requirements.

difference in the change-over to the SS 1 was considerable. After all, the company was building an almost coupé-like body onto the frame of a well-behaved Standard saloon, which caused a sensation at its presentation in 1935, the same, by the way, as did many others from the same company in later years. One could hardly believe it, but the windscreen was placed almost exactly in the middle of the car. Behind it, the front- and rear seating, the boot and the spare-wheel were squeezed in. What then, was under the mile-long bonnet? Well actually, it was a straight-six engine, looking somewhat forlorn. So basically, there was a great deal of empty space.

At this point, for the first time, the virtues of the budding Jaguar company were becomming visible. The coachwork was brilliant, absolutely remarkable, the interior richly equipped, however, a little weak as far as the engine and chassis were concerned, in any event, it could be had for an amazingly reasonable price. One was quite certain, that the weaknesses to (which came with the components that they bought) definitely still needed to be worked on. This made the difference to the Swallow-era, a serious motor-car manufacturer had emerged. As far as the SS One was concerned, there was also the cheaper SS Two with a four cylinder engine and a less remarkable body.