1987 Daimler Double Six

Details

Oldtimer Australia is delighted to offer for sale an Australian delivered, factory right hand drive 1986 Daimler Double Six.

The service book confirms this car was delivered new through City Automobiles in Sydney to Andascorp Pty Ltd in Sydney on the 14^th January 1987. The first owner is noted as Mr E Williams. The car was first registered in NSW with the registration OHV 661.

This car is incredibly well kept and it retains all of its original tags and compliance plates. The build plate states the car was built in June 1986 and the Australian compliance plate is stamped 1/87. The service book confirms that the chassis and engine numbers both match.

The subsequent Jaguar Warranty Certificate states the car was sold to the second owner on the 21^st December 1989. The second owner is noted as the Australian Chamber of Manufacturers in North Sydney. At that time the odometer read 18,714 km. In January 1991 the car was sold to its third owner who also lived in the Sydney area. At that time the odometer read 35,750 km.

The current Brisbane based owner is a long term British classic car enthusiast who has owned and cherished some wonderful motor cars over the years. He acquired this Daimler Double Six approximately 7 years ago from jeweler Wallace Bishop. He has owned some of the best cars money can buy and he rates this Daimler very highly. In his ownership the car has been meticulously maintained by classic Jaguar and Daimler specialists Classic and Prestige in Geebung.

The Daimler Double Six is a very sophisticated car and the metallic blue paint (paint code JEW) on this particular example certainly emphasises the elegant lines. It is understood the car was repainted some years ago by the previous owner and it still presents exceptionally well. The paint retains a strong depth of colour and a deep gloss finish. There is one small defect on the body, being a small paint bubble at the bottom left side of the rear window. The condition of the external trim is consistent with the paintwork. The chrome on the car is in very good condition as are all the badges, lights, lenses, bumpers and the glass. The wheels are a real feature on these Daimlers and they are in good condition on this car. They are shod with Cooper CS5 Grand Touring 215/70R15 tyres which are date stamped week 40 2016 and are still in good condition. The panel gaps are excellent and the doors shut with almost ‘German car’ thud. The car is also very well kept underneath.

Inside this Daimler Double Six is all class. You would not expect anything else and it is pleasing to see everything is so well preserved and in really good condition. The seats are trimmed in doeskin leather and are extremely comfortable. There are no rips, tears or even marks on the front or rear seats. The front seats show some very light patina, belying their age and the rear seats appear to have hardly been used. Similarly, the top of the dash, centre console, carpets and the door cards are in great condition. The timber dashboard fascia and the steering wheel are a real feature on these Daimlers and they are both in excellent condition. The instruments are all clear and in good working order.  Today, the odometer reads 165,594 km. The condition of the car, but particularly the interior is more consistent with a car that has travelled 65,594 km!

After having admired the interior and familiarising ourselves with the car, it’s time to hit the road. The car starts easily from cold and as you would expect the 12-cylinder engine quickly settles into a smooth idle. In fact, it is so smooth and quiet that you can hardly hear the engine from inside the car! Out on the road this Daimler Double Six is a real pleasure to drive. After only 5 minutes behind the wheel of this car you are hooked. No chauffeurs allowed here, you just have to get behind the wheel and drive this car. The car drives as well or perhaps even better than a period Rolls-Royce or Bentley. It has the sophistication of the Rolls-Royce and Bentley, but offers more. The ‘magic carpet’ ride is most certainly there, but it is firmer on the road and provides a greater driving experience. The car just goes about its business in a very efficient manner. We keep repeating ourselves, but the car is just so incredibly smooth . . . the drive, the gear changes up and down the box, the ride, the acceleration . . . everything! There are no rattles or squeaks and the car steers, handles and stops perfectly. When needed there is plenty of power on tap from the 5.3 litre V12 engine. Period literature quotes a top speed of in excess of 230 km/hr and 0 to 100 km/h acceleration of 8.6 seconds. Impressive . . .

The Daimler Double Six is definitely British, it is ‘gentlemanly’ but it has an edge. We love it and think these cars have great upside. The Jaguar and Daimler coupes are on people’s radar and think Daimler Double Six won’t be far behind. These cars are relatively rare and you won’t finding a hidden gem like this very often.

This car has clearly been well maintained and cared for throughout its life. Its overall presentation and condition is a credit to all its previous owners. Today, its presents and drives beautifully. It is hard to imagine the car is actually 36+ years old!

Accompanying the car is the original book set (including a stamped service book), history file, spare wheel, tool kit and jack.

Highlights:

• Australian, delivered factory RHD example.
• Matching numbers.
• Books, tools and jack.
• Beautifully presented example that is an absolute delight to drive.

 

Background

The history of Daimler dates back to the late 1800’s. In 1893 the British businessman Frederick Simms established the Daimler Motor Syndicate Ltd in London, however, at that time the company neither manufactured vehicles nor engines.  In 1895, Henry Lawson provided an investment capital and Daimler Motor Syndicate Ltd became British Motor Syndicate Ltd, as a subsidiary of the Great Horseless Carriage Company, a company founded to promote the new vehicle industry and acquire licenses and patents. Next the company acquired the British Daimler and Maybach patents. The following year, on 14^th January 1896, Henry Lawson founded the Daimler Motor Company Limited which acquired the rights to the Daimler patents from the British Motor Syndicate Ltd. In 1897 the Daimler Motor Company Ltd. started production in Coventry (UK) making it the oldest British automobile factory.

For the foreseeable future Daimler remained the only automotive brand operating throughout the British Empire. As a side note, Henry Lawson and Frederick Simms also founded the Motor Car Club of Britain in 1895, which held its first London to Brighton car run, the ‘Emancipation Run’ on 14^th November 1896. This event is still being held today.

The early years were not easy. The first Daimler engined cars left the factory in March 1897. By mid-1897 Daimler in Germany were in financial difficulty. They began asking for accounts to be settled and refused to send working drawings of their new engine. These financial difficulties led to a reorganisation of the company in 1898 and again in 1904. A new company was founded with a new board of directors which acquired the old company and paid for its debts and wind up costs.

In 1900 Daimler sold its first car to a member of the British Royal family, Edward VII. The car was a 6hp, 2 cylinder, 1527cc fitted with a ‘mail phaeton’ body. When King Edward bought his second Daimler, he granted Daimler a Royal Warrant to provide cars to the British monarchy, a privilege it kept until the 1950’s.

Like most manufacturing companies, Daimler was significantly impacted by both the first and second World Wars. In 1937 Daimler introduced new saloons with a fresh new design. These cars were quite successful and they continued to produce limousines for the royal families of Europe as well as various embassies and consulates. The public however slowly started to turn away from Daimler. Its cars were perceived as boring and expensive compared to some of the other manufacturers like Jaguar for example which seemed to know exactly what the public wanted. Daimler continued to struggle through difficult times right through until the late 1950’s

As a last attempt to save the company, Daimler decided they needed something different. Daimler’s new sports car made its world debut at the International Automobile Exhibition in New York on 4^th April 1959. The car was christened the ‘Dart’, however, Chrysler objected to Daimler using the name as they had previously registered this name for one of their own cars. Daimler then decided on a new name and in line with the company tradition, named their car the SP250. As it turned out, the SP250 became the last car produced by Daimler before the company was acquired by Jaguar.

Daimler had left the medium sized saloon market in 1957 when it ended production of the Conquest. Daimler was acquired by Jaguar in 1960 and pressed by one of their biggest dealers decided to develop a ‘new’ car using the bodyshell of the Jaguar Mk2 and the engine from the SP250. The Daimler 2.5 V8 was born and it was essentially an ‘upmarket’ Jaguar Mk2. The car was first launched in 1962. Jaguar continued this concept with the Daimler Sovereigns (1966 – 1983). The first Sovereigns were based on the Jaguar 420. Later models on the Jaguar XJ6 Series 1, 2 and 3. From 1972 – 1997 they also produced a V12 version called the Daimler Double Six in reference to the original Daimler Double Six from the 1920’s.

---