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 100^th 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.

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.

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.

This year, 2022, marks the 100^th anniversary of the launch of the Austin Seven and this post continues the story of the car and the variants that evolved from the basic 1922 design.

As we saw previously, by 1921 the Austin factory at Longbridge was in receivership. To try to achieve economies of scale, as Ford had with their successful Manchester-built Model ‘T’, the factory had cut their model range to just one car, the large and expensive, 3.6 litre Austin Twenty.

Sir Herbert Austin wanted to produce a small car as an alternative to the motorbike and sidecar and, largely at his own initiative, embarked on the design of what became the Austin Seven.

With the first prototype of the Austin Seven emerging in July 1922, and the production version released at the London Motor Show in November 1922, it gave an opportunity for the ordinary family to purchase a simple, small, but perfectly practical vehicle in which they could travel in comparative comfort and safety, come rain or shine. The previous option of a motor bike and sidecar had meant being unable to hold a conversation, getting wet and cold, and coping with the inherent instability of a three-wheeled vehicle.

Also, in 1922, William Lyons and William Walmsley (we will come across these names in a future post) went into partnership to produce motorcycle sidecars. Their company name was Swallow Sidecars Ltd. They moved their business from Blackpool to Coventry in 1928. Just prior to the move, in 1927, the company started to produce both an open tourer and saloon coach-built body for the Austin Seven chassis with the resulting cars being known as the Austin Seven Swallow and Austin Seven Swallow Saloon.

Their design was less box-like and more stylish than their main competitors. It included two-tone paint and a quality interior. All for just £175. (By 1932, even this price had only increased to £187).

The example in the museum, shown above, was built in 1929 but production continued until 1933 with a total of around 2,500 two-seaters and saloons being made.

Many further examples of Swallow cars exist. The Swallow company not only built on the Austin Seven chassis but examples can be found on Wolseley, Morris, Standard and Fiat chassis. Irrespective of which manufacturer provided the basis of the coach-built Swallow, the distinguishing features of the resulting car were the high build quality and the exceptionally good value for money: features that would stand Swallow in excellent stead for what was to follow.