Although one of the oldest names in British motoring history, dating back to 1896, Daimler as an independent manufacturer only lasted until 1910, when it was acquired by the Birmingham Small Arms Company (BSA, perhaps better known for its motorbikes). BSA sold Daimler to Jaguar Cars in 1960, and for a while marketed a Daimler variant of their MkII saloon – the Daimler 2.5V8 – with the same power unit as the Daimler Dart, or SP250, sports car – the final new model to be launched by Daimler before the company was sold to Jaguar. Despite the general physical similarities, having a different engine did at least endow the Daimler with its own character and it became the most popular Daimler in terms of sales in the history of the brand.
From then on, new Daimler cars were basically Jaguars with a few external chrome changes and slightly superior interior specification, with a less sporting, more dignified image than that of the more raffish Jaguar – not unlike Rolls Royce compared to Bentley, in many ways. The stately Daimler Majestic, which dated from 1958, continued to be built throughout Jaguar’s ownership ,but this was the last Daimler to be sold that was not designed by Jaguar. It’s replacement, the DS420 Limousine, was unique to Daimler, but based entirely on Jaguar components.
When Jaguar came to replace the 420 – of which there was a Sovereign version as well – it was with what many consider one of the most graceful saloons of all time, the Jaguar XJ6. The XJ6 was introduced in September 1968 with 2.8-litre and 4.2-litre versions of the in-line six-cylinder XK unit that had served in the XK and E-type sports cars. Another carry-over from the 420 was the presence of twin fuel tanks, one either side of the luggage compartment, combining to give a total capacity of no less than 25 gallons. One of the jobs I had as a teenager was as a petrol station attendant – remember those? – and I recall filling a couple of customers’ XJ’s with more fuel than any other car.
The Daimler versions of both models were branded Sovereign – as with the Daimler variant of the Jaguar 420 – but when Jaguar added the formidable 5.3-litre V12 to the range, the Daimler became known as the Double-Six, a name last applied to Daimlers back in the 1930’s.
The first series of these cars were built between 1968 and 1973, with production totalling 98,227, of which just 3,233 were Daimler Sovereign 2.8’s. Subsequent facelifted versions never looked as good to my eyes, not helped by the raised bumpers imposed on the car by US safety regulations. At least they didn’t have to stick great huge rubber bumpers on them – they came later…
Press reception for the XJ6 – and by implication, the Sovereign – was very positive; CAR magazine made it their Car of the Year and in a test of the 4.2 version, showered high praise on its roadholding, handling, ride and steering, as well as its suppression of mechanical noise. They summed up the XJ6 thus – “…it is probably the best this nation can offer, and certainly among the best that any nation has known in 75 years”. If that’s not high praise, then I don’t know what is. The XJ6 was also a hit with customers, and within a year there was a 12-month waiting list, with people prepared to pay up to £1000 extra on the black market to jump the queue.
Competition in the so-called Executive Class was formidable, with excellent alternatives in the elegant shapes of the Mercedes 280S W108, or BMW E3, the more square-cut Volvo 164, or the gentleman’s club ambience of the Rover P5, to name but four.
Time to move on to our Prime Find, which is a fine example of the Daimler Sovereign 2.8 litre, a late Series 1 built in 1973, coming under the hammer at Historics’ May 21st auction taking place at Royal Ascot. While some thought the smaller-engined version of the car was a little lacking in performance, especially with automatic transmission, which this one has, I think it matters less in the context of a classic, which is very unlikely to be driven at high speeds.
The 2.8 nevertheless pushes out 140bhp, enough to propel this big car to a maximum speed of 118mph/190kmh, with 60mph reached from standstill in 11 seconds, but the Sovereign is more about how you travel than how quickly. The 2.8 did, however, suffer significantly from holed pistons back in the day, so a good maintenance history – as with any old car, let’s face it – is important. This Daimler is showing only 76,000 miles on the odometer – not warranted – but very modest for a 49-year-old car if correct.
Our car is finished in what was called Squadron Blue, a shade that really suits it, the interior has been re-trimmed in tan leather, and the walnut-veneer fascia looks to be in excellent condition. The cabin of a Sovereign is a wonderful place to sit, and the car has a dignified presence without being staid – it looks great, in short.
The number of Sovereign 2.8’s that remain on our roads is low – just 20 manuals and six automatics, according to howmanyleft.com – so this is a rare opportunity to pick one up, albeit at a relatively high price compared to some, but the estimate range of £17,000 to £21,000 on this very elegant car reflects its apparent condition.
You can see the full lot entry here – there’s not a great deal of information or history in the listing, although there may be more with the car. If it sells within the estimate range, and it looks as good in the metal as it does in the photos, I would say that the new owner will have got themselves a bargain. As always, we recommend arranging an inspection before you make your bid, if possible.
With our Saturday instalment of Prime Find of the Week, we’re offering our services to the classic car community, by passing on our favourite classic car for sale from the week that passed. This top-tip might help a first-time-buyer to own his first classic, or it could even be the perfect motivation for a multiple-classic-car-owner to expand his garage with something different. We’ll let us be inspired by anything from a cheap project to a stunning concours exotic, and hope that you will do the same.
Just remember – Any Classic is Better than No Classic! We obviously invite our readers to help prospective buyers with your views and maybe even experiences of any given model we feature. Further to that, if you stumble across a classic which you feel we ought to feature as Prime Find of the Week, then please send us a link to primefindoftheweek@viaretro.co.uk.