Daimler 2.5 V8 Saloon

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The 2.5-litre V8 was the last Daimler car to feature a Daimler engine after the marque was acquired by Jaguar in 1960.

By installing Edward Turner's lovely 140bhp V8 'hemi' into the MKII bodyshell, Jaguar hoped to create a more exclusive, upmarket car that would appeal to Daimler's more traditional client base. The V8 was instantly distinguished from its Jaguar siblings by the traditional Daimler fluted grille and was initially only available with a bench front seat and 3-speed automatic box. Otherwise identical to the MKII, it featured all round disc brakes, independent front suspension and a Panhard rod located live rear axle.

It also enjoyed superior chassis dynamics to its Jaguar siblings thanks to its more favourable weight distribution due to the alloy construction of the V8, some 50kg lighter than the six-cylinder Jaguar equivalents. The combination was a brilliant one, with the musical and muscular engine complementing the feline bodywork purrfectly.

In May 1966 Autocar tested a 2.5 V8 and timed it to 60mph in 13.8 seconds with a top speed of 112mph, commenting that: “The Daimler’s particular strength is its sweet and near silent running at any engine speed.” By the time production came to an end in 1969, some 17,600 had been sold, making it the best-selling Daimler ever.

As the original buff log book shows, this Daimler was first registered to Matthew Hall & Co of Tottenham Court Road, London, on 6th November 1963, remaining in their hands until it passed to a new owner in Essex in February 1969. It then had two further Essex owners before being put into storage in 1977 where it was to remain for the next 25 years.

Rescued from storage in 2002, it was then partially recommissioned by another owner before passing to Kirby Cross Garage of Frinton-on-Sea who got the car up to MOT standard in December 2009. It was at around this point that the car lost its original number plate, 404 PF, perhaps the motive for getting it MOTd in the first place. Although many new parts had been fitted during the overhaul and it was now in good mechanical health, it still left something to be desired cosmetically.

The vendor bought the car in 2010 and set about a much more thorough restoration, having the bodywork professionally repaired with new sills, front wheelarch repair sections and n/s crows foot. It was then fully repainted in Opalescent Gunmetal Grey and all the glass and door rubbers were renewed.

The interior was carefully refurbished with a new headlining, new furflex, new carpets, re-polished woodwork and thorough cleaning of the original red leather upholstery which was far too nicely patinated to replace. The chromework is also original and, while no longer as shiny as it once was, it does add to the graceful ‘lived in’ character of the car.

Mechanically the Daimler was also further improved with new rear shock absorbers, fuel pump, water pump, belts, hoses, brake master cylinder, power steering high pressure hose, automatic transmission cooler pipes, wiring loom repairs plus numerous other items, all fully documented by many invoices and photographs in the history file.

By this stage a barn conversion project had got in the way and the Daimler was more or less put aside to concentrate on the building work, which is still ongoing and consuming ever more time and resources, hence the reason for the car being reluctantly put into this auction. Fully serviced shortly before the sale with new fluids and filters etc, the car also flew through its MOT in November, the tester commenting on how good it was underneath, the only advisory being that all the tyres are past their best due to age.

The car is now showing some 88,400 miles on the clock which is almost certainly genuine and is backed up by many service records and old MOTs going right back to the early 1970s. It also benefits from a discreetly fitted iPod port, uprated Halogen headlamps, a battery isolator switch, a new battery and an owner's handbook. All it now needs is a fortunate new owner to reap the benefits of all the hard work invested in the car to date.

PS: Please note that not all the door rubbers were in place on the occasion of our visit to take these photos, but they have since been properly fitted, as have the original Britax seat belts.