No, that is not a typo in the title to this post. As we will see, there is a strong connection between these two car makers. 2022 marks the 100th anniversary of the launch of the Austin Seven and this post continues the story of the car and the variants that evolved from that basic 1922 design.

We have already seen that Austin were quite happy to sell the rolling chassis of the Austin Seven to other manufacturers for them to add their own body. Indeed, they sold around 125,000 chassis compared with 291,000 complete Austin Sevens. As well as supplying UK based coachbuilders, chassis were sold to France, Germany, the USA and Australia. Several subsequently global manufacturers started their businesses with the Austin Seven platform. As we saw in the last post, less than 5 years after the launch of the Austin Seven, the chassis, engine, transmission and other running gear were being used in Blackpool, then Coventry, by William Lyons and Swallow Sidecars Ltd as the basis of the stylish and successful Austin Seven Swallow.

Sir William Lyons (1901 – 1985) Photo credit: Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust

The success of the Austin Seven Swallow convinced Lyons that his approach of using a high quality, coach-built body was commercially viable. It meant that he had to look beyond the Austin Seven chassis to a custom-made frame and brought-in engine. A chassis was produced by Rubery Owen and a 16hp Standard engine and running gear were chosen. In 1931, the Austin Swallow name changed to SS and the SS1 was launched at the Motor Show of that year. Manufacturing started in 1932 with a fixed head coupé and was followed by an open tourer in 1933.

In the years up to WWII, the SS1 was joined by the SS2 with both being replaced by the SS90 and SS100 sports cars and 1½, 2½ and 3½ litre SS saloons. By that time SS Cars were building their own engines, initially using upgraded Standard components.

It was at the 1948 Motor Show, the first following the end of WWII, that the stunning Jaguar XK120 was displayed – for obvious reasons, SS had been dropped as a name towards the end of the war. The XK140 was introduced in 1955 and the one in the museum collection is a 1956 coupé. All the XK models, played their part in the post-war export drive, particularly to the USA. Over 90% of the XK120 production was exported.

The Museum’s 1956 Jaguar XK140

So, can we claim that Jaguar would not have existed without the Austin Seven providing the basis of the first of William Lyons’ coach-built bodies? Well, probably not, as we have seen, the Swallow Sidecar Company went on to build on the chassis of other manufacturers such as Standard, Morris, Fiat and Wolseley.

Can we claim however, that the Austin Seven Swallow was in fact the first Jaguar? That is a much more valid assertion since, although not bearing the Jaguar name, the Austin Seven Swallow was the first of William Lyons models to be built in significant numbers and led to a succession of brands through SS and SS Jaguar that culminated in the Jaguar brand.