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The SS100 Jaguar roadster offered here was formerly owned bySir Norman Wisdom, OBE, who acquired the car in June 1962 andkept it until April 1978 when it passed to the current vendor. Bornin 1915, Norman Wisdom was an actor, comedian and singersongwriterbest known for a series of immensely popular comedyfilms featuring his hapless onscreen character, Norman Pitkin: ‘TheSquare Peg’ (1958), ‘On the Beat’ (1962), ‘A Stitch in Time’ (1963)and ‘The Early Bird’ (1965). He later pursued an equally successfulcareer on Broadway and in television, and only retired from actingin 2005 at the age of 90. Wisdom was knighted in 2000 and diedin October 2010 at his home in the Isle of Man. He was also adedicated motoring enthusiast, owning two Bentleys (registered‘NW 1’ and ‘NW 2’) as well as this SS100.Launched for 1936, the SS100 was the first real high-performancemodel produced by SS Cars Limited and used a new Weslakedevelopedoverhead-valve engine in a shortened SS1 chassis. Theintroduction of the OHV unit was considered to justify the adoption ofa new name for the series, SS Cars boss William Lyons later recalling‘I immediately pounced on Jaguar as it had an exciting sound tome.’ (‘Jaguar’ would be adopted as the marque name in 1943, ‘SS’having by then acquired a somewhat tarnished reputation).‘SS’ originally stood for the Swallow Sidecar & CoachbuildingCompany, which had been founded in Blackpool, Englandby William Walmsley. The company branched out into motormanufacture in 1926, its first major success being an attractivesports saloon on the Austin Seven chassis, the design being thework of Walmsley’s partner, one William Lyons.Relocation to Coventry followed and the Swallow range expandedto include models on Morris Cowley, Wolseley Hornet and StandardSixteen chassis. Marque status arrived in October 1931 with thelaunch of the SS1, the chassis of which was supplied exclusivelyto Swallow by Standard, who also provided the six-cylindersidevalve engine and four-speed gearbox. Although unspectacularin performance, the SS1 went some way towards establishing thepattern for future Jaguars, combining sporting good looks with abetter-than-average specification and all at a bargain price.By the time the SS90 sports car arrived in 1935, William Heyneshad joined as Chief Engineer. Based on a shortened SS1 chassis,re-engineered by Heynes, the SS90 again demonstrated Lyons’consummate skill as a stylist, its long bonnet, smoothly flowingwings, cut-away doors and truncated tail making it every inch theepitome of the 1930s sports car. Although good for 90mph, theSS90 was handicapped by the limitations of its sidevalve engine,a deficiency that would soon be rectified by another of Lyons’ newrecruits, gas-flow consultant Harry Weslake.Motor Cars | 133