Jaguar: 1st model ever

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S.S. Jaguar logo 1935. The first car launched with the Jaguar brand was the "S.S. Jaguar 2.5 litre Saloon", unveiled at the Mayfair Hotel London, September 21, 1935; but the first car ever produced by the same company - S.S. Cars Limited, later Jaguar Cars Limited - was the 1932 "S.S. 1", or "S.S. One", debuted at the London Motor Show in October 15 to 24, 1931.

Name: "S.S. 1"

Category: Cars

Subcategory: Sports car

Designers: William Lyons and William Walmsley

Producer: S.S. Cars Limited (founded by Sir William Lyons on October 26, 1933, as the result of the Swallow Sidecar Company formed with co-founder William Walmsley on September 2, 1922)

Production start: 1932 - Foleshill, Coventry, England - Debut as coupé car at the London Motor Show in October 15 to 24, 1931, Olympia, West Kensington

Discontinued: 1936

First price: 310 GBP

Features: For detailed specifications see the 1931 official brochure in Pdf below

Interesting facts: In 1922, two motorcycle enthusiasts, William Lyons and William Walmsley, founded the Swallow Sidecar Company, a British manufacturer of motorcycle sidecars and automobile bodies in Blackpool, Lancashire (later Coventry, Warwickshire). After some name changes - Swallow Sidecar and Coachbuilding Company, and Swallow Coachbuilding Company, during which the company diversified by bodying existying cars with more fashionable coachworks, William Lyons decided to become a car manufacturer in his own right. So, in October 1931, Lyons revealed his "S.S. 1" coupé at the London Motor Show. The engines and chassis supplied by the Standard Motor Company were fitted with Swallow bodies styled under Lyons supervision. The body was ultra low and the bonnet outrageously long. It had, stated the press, the £1,000 look, yet was priced at a very modest £310, highlighting Lyons' unique ability to offer remarkable value for money. The first two S.S. cars available to the public was the 1932 S.S. 1 with 2-litre or 2.5-litre side-valve, six-cylinder engine and the S.S. 2, a smaller version based on the Standard Nine chassis, with a four-cylinder 1-litre side-valve engine. A much improved S.S. cars followed in 1933, Saloon and Tourer models were introduced, and in the same year William Lyons formed S.S. Cars Limited. Jaguar brand first appeared in September 1935, as a model name on an S.S. 2.5-litre saloon presented at the Mayfair Hotel London. The company's name changed from S.S. Cars Limited to Jaguar Cars Limited in 1945.

Slogan (July 1931): «WAIT! THE "SS" IS COMING»

Property: S.S. Cars Ltd. - Jaguar Cars Ltd. - Jaguar Land Rover Ltd.

Producer website: https://www.jaguar.com

S.S. 1 announcement (The Autocar magazine, July 1931). «WAIT! THE "SS" IS COMING - 2 New Coupés of Surpassing Beauty. - S.S. is the new name of a new car that's going to thrill the hearts of the motoring public and the trade alike. It's something utterly new ... different ... better! Long ... low ... very low ... and very FAST! At the Show, or before, two S.S. Coupés of surpassing beauty will be presented. WAIT ... THE S.S. IS COMING» - The show to which the announcement referred was the London Motor Show, Olympia, West Kensington, where the S.S. 1 debuted together with a smaller version called S.S. 2, October 15 to 24, 1931.

S.S. 1, the first car by S.S. Cars Ltd., later Jaguar Cars Ltd. (1932, restored)

S.S. 1 official brochure in Pdf (1931)

S.S. 1 advertisement (The Autocar magazine, June 10, 1932)

S.S. Jaguar 2.5 litre Saloon, the car that inaugurated the Jaguar brand (1935)

S.S. Jaguar 2.5 litre Saloon, debut at the Mayfair Hotel London (September 21, 1935)

S.S. Jaguar 2.5 litre Saloon advertisement (The Autocar magazine, October 18, 1935)

Sir William Lyons (Blackpool, Sept. 4, 1901 - Warwickshire, Feb. 8, 1985), known as "Mr. Jaguar", entrepreneur, co-founder of the Jaguar company, and designer of the early Jaguar models

Jaguar 75th Anniversary (1935-2010). On September 18, 2010, 75 iconic Jaguars started a two-day trek in Coventry to celebrate 75 years of Jaguar brand history.

Rolls-Royce: 1st model ever

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Rolls-Royce logo 1904

Name: "Rolls-Royce 10 hp Type A"

Category: Cars

Subcategory: Luxury car

Designer: Sir Henry Royce (on Barker body)

Producer: Rolls-Royce Ltd. (founded by Charles Stewart Rolls and Sir Frederick Henry Royce on March 15, 1906, as the result of a partnership formed on December 23, 1904)

Prototypes made in: 1904 - Cooke Street, Hulme, Manchester, England - 3 "Royce 10 hp" prototypes made

Production start: November 1904 - Cooke Street, Hulme, Manchester, England - Debut at the Paris Salon in December 9 to 25, 1904 - A total of 16 "Rolls-Royce 10 hp Type A" models were produced

Discontinued: 1906

First price: 395 GBP

Features: Model "Rolls-Royce 10 hp Type A", 1904. Engine configuration: Straight 2. Engine location: Front, longitudinally mounted. Engine construction: cast-iron block and head. Engine size: 1,809 cc / 110.4 cu in. Engine bore/stroke: 95.3 mm (3.8 in) / 127.0 mm (5 in). Valvetrain: 2 valves / cylinder, OHV / Side-valve. Fuel feed: Royce Carburettor. Aspiration: Naturally aspirated. Engine power: 12 bhp / 9 KW @ 1,000 rpm. Chassis: Body on steel ladder frame. Suspension (fr/r): live axle, semi-elliptic leaf springs. Brakes: rear drum brakes. Gearbox: 3 speed manual. Drive: Rear wheel drive. Weight: 740 kilo / 1,631 lbs. Wheelbase: 1,905 mm (75.0 in). Length: 3,175 mm (125.0 in). Width: 1,400 mm (55.1 in). Power to weight: 0.02 bhp / kg. Top speed: 63 km/h (39 mph).

Interesting facts: Rolls-Royce grew from the electrical and mechanical business established by Henry Royce in 1884. The first Royce motor car engine was tested on September 16, 1903 and on April 1, 1904 Royce drove his first 10 hp prototype out of the Cooke Street factory, Hulme, Manchester. On May 4 of that year he met Charles Rolls, whose company sold quality cars in London. Agreement was reached that Royce Limited would manufacture a range of cars to be exclusively sold by CS Rolls & Co. Two more prototypes were built in 1904, for a total of three. Rolls-Royce cars made their debut at the Paris Salon, December 9 to 25, 1904. The partnership was officially formed on December 23, 1904. Initially, Charles Rolls and Henry Royce decided to make 20 "Rolls-Royce 10 hp Type A" models, but only 16 were finally constructed, the last in 1906. On March 15, 1906, Rolls and Royce formalised their partnership by creating Rolls-Royce Limited, with Royce appointed chief engineer.

Quote (Sir Henry Royce): «Strive for perfection in everything we do. Take the best that exists and make it better. When it does not exist, design it. Accept nothing nearly right or good enough».

Property: Rolls-Royce Ltd. - Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Ltd.

Producer website: https://www.rolls-roycemotorcars.com

Royce 10 hp prototype, first chassis (1904, Cooke Street factory)

Royce 10 hp prototype (1904, Cooke Street factory). The first petrol engine was tested on September 16, 1903, and the first prototype was completed in the Cooke Street factory in March 1904. Two more similar prototypes were built in 1904, for a total of three.

Rolls-Royce debut advertisement (November 1904)

Rolls-Royce 10 hp Type A, Rolls-Royce's first ever produced car (November 1904). These pictures show the world’s oldest surviving Rolls-Royce 10 hp Type A, which came off test in November 1904 and was the third car to wear the Rolls-Royce radiator and the fourth car to carry the Rolls-Royce name. This car was selected for exhibition at the Paris Salon, December 9 to 25, 1904. It was sold by Bonhams (London-based auction house founded in 1793) on December 3, 2007, for 3,521,500 GBP, breaking two world records: the highest price ever paid at auction for both a Rolls-Royce and a veteran car (pre-1905).

Rolls-Royce advertisement (The Autocar magazine, Dec. 17, 1904). Top-left: 10 hp, tonneau, two cylinders, with Barker body, 395 GBP. Top-right: 10 hp, Park Phaeton, with disappearing back seat, leather hood, patent leather wings, and glass front, 436 GBP.

Rolls-Royce 10 hp Type A review (The Automotor Journal, December 3, 1904)

Rolls-Royce founders: Charles Stewart Rolls (Aug. 27, 1877 - July 12, 1910), motoring and aviation pioneer, and Sir Frederick Henry Royce (March 27, 1863 - April 22, 1933), engineer and car designer.

Rolls-Royce introduces Spectre: the world's first Ultra-Luxury Electric Super Coupé (2022)

Volvo: 1st model ever

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Volvo logo 1927

Name: "Volvo ÖV4"

Nickname: "Jakob"

Category: Cars

Subcategory: Cabriolet

Designer: Jan G. Smith

Producer: Volvo Car Corporation (founded by Gustaf Larson as technical manager and Assar Gabrielsson as managing director on April 14, 1927)

Prototypes made in: 1926 (10 produced) - Stockholm, Sweden

Production start: April 14, 1927 - Gothenburg, Sweden - A total of 996 models were produced

Discontinued: April 1929

First price: 4,800 Swedish kronor (5,800 for the covered version PV4)

Features: The body of the Volvo ÖV4 had four doors and was covered in sheet steel on a frame of ash and copper beech. The upholstery was made of leather. Engine: In-line 4 cylinder with side valves, 1,940 cc (118 cu in) 75x110 mm; 28 bhp at 2000 rpm. Transmission: 3 speed with direct action floor lever. Brakes: Mechanical on rear wheels (optional four wheel brakes from 1928). Dimensions: Wheelbase 112 in; weight 2580 lb. Cruising speed 37 mph and top speed 55 mph. The body of the sedan version PV4 was based on the Weymann principle, with an insulated wooden frame without wood-to-wood contact between the components and covered with artificial leather instead of steel.

Interesting facts: Volvo was established in 1915 as a subsidiary of SKF, the ball bearing manufacturer; the company as an automobile company was born on August 10, 1926; however the Volvo Group and Volvo Cars consider themselves to have been officially founded on 14 April 1927, when the first car, the Volvo ÖV4 series, rolled out of the factory in Hisingen, Gothenburg. The trademark Volvo (which is Latin for I roll) was first registered by SKF on May 11, 1915, with the intention to use it for a special series of ball bearing for the American market (however in the application for the trademark, it was also designated for the purpose of automobiles), but it was never used for this purpose. The designation ÖV 4 stands for "Öppen Vagn 4 cylindrar" in Swedish, which means Open Carriage 4 cylinders. The model ÖV4 was often referred to as "Jakob" but that was just a name for one of the 10 pre-series ÖV4 that was ready on 25 July, Jakob's name-day. All 10 prototypes (9 cabriolet and 1 sedan) were assembled in Stockholm at the company AB Galco, where Volvo co-founder Gustav Larson worked at that time. The ÖV 4 engine was designed by Gustaf Larson and its main chassis components by Jan G. Smith, a designer who had worked many years in the American automobile industry and returned to Sweden in 1924. In 1927 Volvo made 280 cars. The covered version, Volvo PV4 (Personvagn-4 cylindrar), designed to hold strong in the Swedish climate and terrain, was introduced in the end of 1927. Between April 1927 and April 1929 (discontinued) a total of 996 cars were manufactured.

Quote (Gustaf Larson and Assar Gabrielsson, 1927): «Cars are driven by people. The guiding principle behind everything we make at Volvo, therefore, is and must remain, safety».

Property: Volvo Car Corporation

Producer website: http://www.volvocars.com

Volvo ÖV4, Volvo's first ever produced car (1927)

Volvo ÖV4, the only available color was dark blue with black wings

Volvo PV4, the covered version of the ÖV4 (1927). Volvo's first sedan car appeared in the summer of 1927 and an alternative "Special" version was introduced the following year. The seats could be converted into a comfortable bed for two people.

Volvo celebrates 85th anniversary (1927-2012) by recreating historic photograph with new executives who pass through the same gates in the same historic ÖV4 car.

Volvo founders: Erik Gustaf Larson (July 8, 1887 - July 4, 1968), automotive engineer, and Assar Thorvald Nathanael Gabrielsson (Aug. 13, 1891 - May 28, 1962), industrialist.

Volvo XC40 Recharge, Volvo's first all-electric car (2017)

Toyota: 1st model ever

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Toyota logo
first version: "Toyoda"
1935-36

Prototype name: "Toyoda A1"

First models names:
--- "Toyoda AA" (sedan)
--- "Toyoda AB Phaeton" (cabriolet)

Category: Cars

Subcategory:
--- Sedan (AA)
--- Cabriolet (AB)

Producer: Automobile Department of Toyoda Automatic Loom Works, Ltd. (founded in 1926 by Sakichi Toyoda - director: his son Kiichiro Toyoda)

Prototype made in: May 1935 (engine completed on September 25, 1934)

Production start: April 1936 - Koromo, Japan

Discontinued: 1943 (AA) - 1938 (AB)

First price: 3,350 yen (AA) - 3,300 yen (AB)

Features: The Toyoda Model AA incorporated the design principles that were current in the U.S., the global leader of the auto industry at the time. Specifically, it was modeled after the De Soto Airflow, which embodied Chrysler's pioneering design approach to improve the ride comfort of rear passengers. The streamlined body styling and the rational load balancing between the front and rear wheels resulted in superior ride comfort for rear passengers and a spacious cabin. Curb mass (kg) 1500. Dimensions (mm): Length 1500, Width 1736, Height 1730, Wheelbase 2850. The engine, modeled after that of the Chevrolet, was a 3,389 cc water-cooled inline 6-cylinder OHV unit that produced 65 hp/3,000 rpm.
The Toyoda Model AB Phaeton was an open-top version of the Model AA. Although it was a commercially available production model, most of the vehicles were painted in khaki and delivered to the Japanese army with the codename ABR, and few were sold to civilians. While the mechanical components were basically the same as those of the Model AA, its coachwork was more than just that of a roofless AA sedan. The windshield was different from the AA's, and the rear-hinged rear doors were replaced with front-hinged ones. Also, the rear seats were moved further back to provide space for auxiliary seats between the front and rear seats.

Interesting facts: In 1924, Sakichi Toyoda invented the Toyoda Model G Automatic Loom. The principle of jidoka, which means the machine stops itself when a problem occurs, became later a part of the Toyota Production System. Looms were built on a small production line. In 1929, the patent for the automatic loom was sold to a British company, generating the starting capital for the automobile development. Toyota was started in 1933 as a division of Toyoda Automatic Loom Works devoted to the production of automobiles under the direction of the founder's son, Kiichiro Toyoda. The first prototype engine was completed on September 25, 1934. Three A1 prototypes car were completed in May 1935, none of them survive. Because the Model AA were developed at the automobile department of the Toyoda Automatic Loom Works, Ltd. (before the department was spun off as Toyota Motor Company), the model names were preceded by the brand name Toyoda. In April 1936, Model AA passenger car production commenced. In July, the company ran a public competition to design a new logo, which lead - in September - to a change in the brand name to what is now called "Toyota". In 1937, Toyota Motor Co., Ltd. was established to commence full-scale auto manufacturing operations; in 1942 a total of 1,404 Toyota AA and 353 units of Toyoda AB Phaeton were produced.

Quote (Sakichi Toyoda): «Before you say you can't do something, try it»

Property: Toyota Motor Corporation

Producer website: http://www.toyota-global.com

Toyoda Model A engine. The first prototype engine was completed on September 25, 1934. The parts manufactured in-house were limited to cast parts including a cylinder head, cylinder block, and pistons, while imported Chevrolet parts were used for crankshafts, camshafts, valves, plugs and electrical components.

Toyoda A1 prototype, completion ceremony (May 1935). Development started in September 1933, three A1 prototypes were realized, none of them survive.

Toyoda AA sedan, the first production passenger car by Toyota (1936)

Toyoda AA sedan, the only known pre-War original that exists in the world today. Found in Russia in 2008, it is kept in the Louwman Museum in the Netherlands.

Toyoda AA sedan, newspaper advertisement (1936)

Toyoda AA sedan, a replica build for the 50th birthday of Toyota Motor Corp. (1987)

Toyoda AB Phaeton (1936-1938), original and replica. The Toyoda Model AB Phaeton was a cabriolet version of the Model AA. Although it was a commercially available production model, most of the vehicles were painted in khaki and delivered to the Japanese army with the codename ABR, and few were sold to civilians.

Sakichi Toyoda (Kosai, Feb. 14, 1867 - Kosai, Oct. 30, 1930), the Japanese inventor and industrialist who founded Toyoda Automatic Loom Works, Ltd. (Toyota Industries Corporation), and his son Kiichiro Toyoda (Shizuoka, June 11, 1894 - Toyota, March 27, 1952), entrepreneur and first director of the automobile department (Toyota Motor Corporation).

Toyota, an advanced model: Corolla, their top-selling sedan car ever (official video 2023)