one Just before the 1959 Earls Court Motor Show Motor magazine The Daimler story

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "one Just before the 1959 Earls Court Motor Show Motor magazine The Daimler story"

Rafe Henderson
5 years ago
Views:

one The Daimler story Just before the 1959 Earls Court Motor Show Motor magazine said: Particular interest on the Daimler stand will centre on the new SP 250 sports model a new departure for Daimler.

1 one The Daimler story Just before the 1959 Earls Court Motor Show Motor magazine said: Particular interest on the Daimler stand will centre on the new SP 250 sports model a new departure for Daimler. The SP certainly was a new departure for a company whose reputation had been established by luxury limousines and saloons for the nobility and the wealthy. Daimler is one of the oldest names in British motoring history, brought to the country by the engineer, Frederick Simms. Simms was a London-based consultant but, in 1893, due to the laws of the land, could do very little towards promoting the English motor car. This job fell to Harry Lawson who, with a syndicate of friends, bought the Daimler manufacturing rights from Simms. Although something of a crafty fi gure, Lawson nonetheless did manage to launch the Daimler marque and, with the assistance of Henry Sturmey of the Autocar, helped turn the tide of public opinion toward the cause of the automobile. 6hp car, and forged a relation between the company and the Royal household that would last a century. Although the Daimler Motor Company had, in a very short space of time, made its way from nothing to one of the world s premier automobile manufacturers, it was not without its troubles. However, early mistakes probably helped save the fi rm from a premature death. Forced to review company policies and the Directors that executed them, the Daimler shareholders made the business stronger by electing new management with a better knowledge of the industry. By 1904, the company had been re-organised and faced a far brighter future. Red Flag Act repealed In November 1896, the Emancipation Run from London to Brighton took place, celebrating the repeal of the Red Flag Act which, for so many years, had restricted the use of motor cars on British highways. The fi rst of the Daimler cars was completed in the early part of 1897 in the Motor Mills at Coventry literally only a few hundred yards from the larger Radford factory acquired by the company in 1908 and where all of the SP 250s would be built. From this date onwards, right at the the start of the British industry, the pioneering concern would never look back. During 1897, a Daimler successfully completed the fi rst ever John O Groats to Lands End run by a motor car, and another Coventry-built machine made it unaided to the top of the steep Malvern Beacon. By the following year, Daimler had already established a link with the Royal family, the then Prince of Wales asking for a ride on one of the new-fangled vehicles. In the early part of 1900 he received his fi rst The actual car that completed the fi rst John O Groats to Lands End run in

The engine found its way into chassis 100598 (an ivory car, registration 1903 HP) for some unknown reason, although, by October 1960, it had been replaced by a new unit.

2 After the New York Show in 1959, George Fabel and Walt Fulton took the show car on a 6500-mile publicity tour of the USA. This is a gas stop in New York. with the vehicle as he later owned a green example (registration number 658 VC). He was not given the chance to buy the red car he had used across America, and it was later dismantled. The engine found its way into chassis (an ivory car, registration 1903 HP) for some unknown reason, although, by October 1960, it had been replaced by a new unit. What the press said Back at home, news of the new car was starting to fi lter out through the press. Motor magazine, during the fi rst week of April 1959, made the following comments: First public intimation that the old-established Daimler organisation was working on an entirely new range of 2.5-litre V8 cars of compact size and high performance A very early car being loaded for its journey across the Atlantic to the USA. 55

With Daimler out of favour with its owners, BSA, the old Coventry firm would be easy prey for Jaguar.

3 production was down to ridiculous levels and the only saloon cars available were either too large or outdated for volume sales. There was still no DN 250 saloon on the horizon and the SP had simply not lived up to its sales expectations. With Daimler out of favour with its owners, BSA, the old Coventry firm would be easy prey for Jaguar. Midway through June 1960, Jaguar purchased the whole of the Daimler business, along with its Radford factory, from the Birmingham Small Arms Company for the sum of 3.4m. This allowed Jaguar to increase its production facilities overnight, the skilled workforce increased in size, and the company not only inherited an established prestige name, but some superb V8 engines as well. Jaguar was quick to point out its position with Daimler, stating: Jaguar Cars Limited wishes to deny unfounded rumours to the effect that sweeping changes, including even the extinction of the Daimler marque, are to be expected. Whilst one of the most obvious benefits accruing to Jaguar as a result of its purchase is the availability of much-needed additional production facilities for Jaguar cars, the company s long-term view envisages not merely the retention of the Daimler marque, but the expansion of its markets at home and overseas. Under Daimler the Radford plant was always a hive of activity, but not very profitable. It gave Jaguar the space the expanding company needed, with the side benefit that the Daimler marque was kept alive. The Daimler works at Radford in Coventry, pictured at about the time of the Jaguar takeover. 95

I have given one of these machines a thorough test, and have found it refreshingly different from any other car, with a marked personality of its own.

4 100 Above and opposite: The internal pages of the SP 250 (B-Spec) sales brochure emphasise the model s virtues. Of recent years, the Daimler has perhaps become a less regal carriage, but the announcement of a high-effi ciency 120mph sports car was nevertheless something of a bombshell. I have given one of these machines a thorough test, and have found it refreshingly different from any other car, with a marked personality of its own... On good roads, the SP 250 rides well, and remains stable and easy to handle at the highest velocities. The steering is a little heavy at parking speeds, but very precise at all other times. The disc brakes earn full marks under all conditions and they can be used hard and repeatedly without any sign of warming up. The clutch pedal has a long travel before the plate frees, and the action is decidedly heavy. As a touring sports car, the Daimler has many virtues, whether driven fast or more gently. The whole car is very solidly constructed, and indeed it is by

5 The beautiful lines of the Ogle car look terrific from this angle. 347 PNK was the second and final SX

1 sur 5 17/07/ :57

1 sur 5 17/07/ :57 1 sur 5 17/07/2013 17:57