Eye-catching black and whites

[artdjones]

In house announcement of new Daimler Regency - the production car was sold with simplified front wings. What a torrid decade for Daimler in the 50's whilst they tried to keep up with a rapidly changing world and what other manufacturers were doing.

90hp wasn't much for a 3 litre even then.

[mercrocker]

Jaguar's reskin of SP250 Daimler 1962? This is taken out the back of either the Browns Lane or Radford factories?

 

Shades of MGB there!    

 

However, Hooper did a take on the SP250 themselves and pre-dated the MGB GT by a few years...

 

 

[JimH]

 Dear old Daimler where did it all go wrong?

 

The tale of Mr and Mrs Docker is entertaining. Good enough place to start is here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Docker_Daimlers

 

If they were to have appeared on Mr and Mrs with Derek Batey I reckon they would have won the £15 jackpot.

 

So Bernard, Norah can't hear you - she's in the soundproof booth. Don't be nervous. So Bernard, you need to buy a present for Norah. What do you think she would like most? Would she like flowers - all ladies like flowers don't they? Would she like chocolates or would she like to be made director of a coachbuilding firm that you have bullied the board of directors into purchasing so she is able to spend an almost insane sum of money creating some of the most gauche vehicles ever built in the UK then turn up to the motor show wearing a coat paid for by your company which cost the equivalent of several assembly line workers' houses?

[lesapandre]

90hp wasn't much for a 3 litre even then.

I suppose the benchmark was the new Austin A90 introduced in 1954 - 2.6 C Series with approx 90 bhp. I'm by no means a Daimler expert but I think the production Regency was a 3.5  and which in the later 104 model (104 mph geddit) put out about 135 bhp which is not bad for a cooking saloon in 1958. I expect the emphasis was on smoooth delivery and reliability vs ultimate bhp. There was a 4.5 advertised but they blew up the pre-select gearboxes so were  recalled and fitted with the 3.5.The more I learn about Daimler the more eccentric they seem but it was a different world.

[artdjones]

They were eccentric from the 20s on.They had a huge range of cars,none of which was to be as powerful as you would think.The Royal Family connection helped them.It made Daimler seem to be the genuine upper crust car, while Rolls-Royces were for the nouveau riche

[lesapandre]

Shades of MGB there!    

 

However, Hooper did a take on the SP250 themselves and pre-dated the MGB GT by a few years...

 

 

1959 daimler SP250 close coupled saloon by hooper.jpg

Yes I've seen this Hooper coup(er) described as ugly. Tastes change  - its none too bad IHMO. Never made series production which is a pity. With the Daimler 2.5 or  4.5 and plastic body could have been fun. But once Jaguar purchased Daimler ( mainly for the factory) it was all over for the sports car  and independent designs really. But Darts are now getting very valuable so they are not exactly unappreciated. I think there has been a lot of owner improvement though. The original Ogle Scimitar body was on a SP250 chassis.

[lesapandre]

They were eccentric from the 20s on.They had a huge range of cars,none of which was to be as powerful as you would think.The Royal Family connection helped them.It made Daimler seem to be the genuine upper crust car, while Rolls-Royces were for the nouveau riche

Yes I think Prince Phillip disliked the fusty Daimler - I think one broke down too ( or failed to proceed )- so the Royal Warrant went to RR. It's the kind of car Lady Grantham would have hung onto in Downton Abbey.

[lesapandre]

Dirk Bogarde and RR in the Alps early '50's. YPP360 survives - Dirk only on film. 

[lesapandre]

Custom Rolls...yes really. 1947. Believed to still survive. 

[lesapandre]

RR

[mercrocker]

That was Nubar Gulbenkian's car.   He also caused  this to be done to an FX4....

 

 

 

 

 

 

A wealthy (no shit) financier, he once famously remarked that his Austin "turned on a sixpence....Whatever that is...."

[lesapandre]

That was Nubar Gulbenkian's car.   He also caused  this to be done to an FX4....

 

 

gulbenkian_taxi.jpg

 

 

 

A wealthy (no shit) financier, he once famously remarked that his Austin "turned on a sixpence....Whatever that is...."

He must have had immerse leverage to get Rolls to abandon their radiator grille. I've only seen that on Rolls prototypes. An amazing car - not great doing a 3-point turn. That 'bathtub' shape was popular for a time. Especially with Nash.

[mercrocker]

Hooper built the bodywork, RR only supplied the chassis.  I don't suppose the company were very happy with the outcome but they had to put up with the various creations for Indian princes before the likes of Nubar....

 

 

[artdjones]

 

Or since then the Sultan of Brunei had this little beauty made.

[lesapandre]

Baltimore 

[lesapandre]

Normandy

[lesapandre]

Japan

[lesapandre]

https://twitter.com/CamilleStein/status/1055443191808303104?s=09

 

Spain 1960

[lesapandre]

Paris early 50's. Note Sunbeam Alpine on left. Rootes has a showroom on the Champs Elysee at that time. 

[lesapandre]

Just purrfect

[Remspoor]

https://twitter.com/CamilleStein/status/1055443191808303104?s=09

 

Spain 1960

 TUK has competition?

[lesapandre]

Paris 50's.

[lesapandre]

Italy...

[NorfolkNWeigh]

[NorfolkNWeigh]

[NorfolkNWeigh]

[Eddie Honda]

Birmingham Beehive by diplomatic permission deepi, on Flickr

[NorfolkNWeigh]

Where's his moped?

[JeeExEll]

"Come on luv, the car's this way. Back on the gin again?".

[STUNO]

Paris early 50's. Note Sunbeam Alpine on left. Rootes has a showroom on the Champs Elysee at that time. 

 

What is that weird futuristic car behind the far 2CV. That will never sell, scrap it.