The query about the make and model of the stylish car shown on our front cover two weeks ago has been well and truly answered by readers. You will recall that the impressive vehicle (shown with four ladies of the period posing next to it), belonged to a colourful character who hailed from Tipton, named Samuel Levi ‘Dixie’ Warden.
He fought in India, and was nicknamed The White Tiger (a little more about him below).
The following comment comes from Jim Pease... “I look after the vintage vehicles at the Black Country Museum. I have been repairing vehicles for over 42 years and the car in your picture is a 1934 SS Airline saloon. It must have been a number of years old when the picture was taken because it is fitted with war time masked headlamps.
SS later became Jaguar in the early 1940s”.
Andy Hill, of Classic Motor Car Ltd, Bridgnorth, adds the following - “The car in the photo is a ''SS1 Airline Saloon'', made by Jaguar in their very early days when they were known as the SS motor company. This sensational SS Airline Coupe is the forerunner of the famous SS100 and Jaguar XK 120.
“The Swallow company was started in 1922 by William Lyons and William Walmsley, building motorbike sidecars in Coventry and after 1927 car bodies for many makes including Austin 7's. The first SS cars were produced in 1931 using mostly mechanical components supplied by the Standard Motor Company.
“The famous SS or Swallow Sport was built with a special low slung chassis with a 2 litre or a 2.5 litre side valve 6 cylinder engine. Available in 3 body styles, a 4 seater Tourer, Sedan or the rare Airline coupe body. The Jaguar name was not used until after 1936. Only 4,200 SS cars were produced”.
Peter Knott, of Netherton, alo kindly donated a couple of Classic Car magazines to our archives, which include features on the SS Airline, and to cap it all, John Wilkes of Coseley has sent us pictures of the SS Airline which he owned in the 1950s, shown on a trip to Stourport with his pals.
He writes, “The car in the White Tiger article is a Jaguar SS1, also known as a Jaguar Airline. My name is John Wilkes also known by everyone as Duke. I owned a car the same as this in 1957.
Myself and a load of mates used to go to Stourport in it nearly every weekend. Perhaps someone will recognise themselves from the pictures.
There was John Whitehouse, Peter John Cole, nicknamed ‘Concho’, and Lawrence Hill, to name just a few. It would be great if anyone did see themselves, we had such a great time by the River Severn way back then. Perhaps we could catch up on old times? “When these pictures were taken myself and some of the lads lived in Stowlawn, Bilston.
I now live in Woodcross, Coseley, off the Birmingham New Road. It was a big day out to go to Stourport with my mates and we used to meet up with some more chaps who all worked in the jewellery quarter of Birmingham”.
“He was my father-in-law’s father’s brother! “I met him in the early 1980s when he stayed for a week at the Old Park Hotel, Darlaston Road, Wednesbury (father-in - law’s pub).
“He was 86 at the time and got up at the crack of dawn each morning and ran to the Bull Stake before breakfast! “He was very fit and trav- Duke behind the wheel of his SS Airline. Note also the vintage caravans in the background! elled all over the world”.
