Descrição
LOT 207
ex-Colonel Arthur Mulliner
1897 Daimler 4hp Twin-Cylinder Tonneau
THE GOLDEN AGE OF MOTORING
4 November 2022, 17:00 GMT
London, New Bond Street
£225, 000 - £275, 000
1897 Daimler 4hp Twin-Cylinder Tonneau
Coachwork by Arthur Mulliner
Registration no. W 95 (see text)
Engine no. 1058
• The second car manufactured by the Daimler Motor Company
• The oldest known Daimler engine
• Present family ownership for the last 70 years
• Many-time London-Brighton participant
Footnotes
"There can scarcely be a better way of appreciating the pleasures and perils of the pioneering days of motoring in Britain than by sampling an early Coventry Daimler, and I'm about to go for a ride in the earliest one there is." – Zack Stiling, The Automobile, July 2022.
The historic automobile offered here is the second car manufactured by the Daimler Motor Company Ltd in their Coventry Mills factory in June 1897 or earlier. It is powered by a 1, 527cc vertical twin-cylinder engine rated a 4 horsepower, which drives via a four-speed gearbox and chain final drive. Engine number '1058' is the oldest known, and 'THE KIRKSTALL FORGE Co 1897' is stamped on the rear axle. This wonderful car was first owned by Arthur Mulliner, the famous Northampton coachbuilder, who nicknamed his car 'The Owl'. On 27th November 1897, this Daimler was demonstrated to The Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII) at Buckingham Palace, and two days later drove in the London to Brighton Commemoration Run from Northumberland Avenue to Richmond Park in London, organised by the Motor Car Club. A little over a week later, on 8th December 1897, Arthur Mulliner drove this Daimler with Henry Mulliner, his cousin, as passenger on the inaugural run of The Automobile Club of Great Britain and Ireland in London's Pall Mall.
According to The Automobile: "Another likely claim to fame is that this is the first car used for a manufacturer-organised road test, as well as one of the first in Britain to be driven a meaningful distance by women. Two journalists from The Gentlewoman were driven 75 miles in a Daimler by Mulliner from Northampton to their London offices in Arundel Street... Feeling affronted by Mulliner's comment that he called the car 'she' because it 'took a man to manage her', the two ladies determined to prove their worth as motorists and took over for a while from the suitable chastened colonel." The Daimler's history only started to come to light following its acquisition by the Veteran Car Club in the 1940s (see below).
Circa 1900 the car returned to the Daimler factory for updating: the tiller steering being changed to wheel; the front suspension to dumb irons and single elliptical springs; and the cylinder head revised, adding electrical trembler coil ignition to the existing 'hot tube'. It is possible that a rear radiator was added. It is also very likely that Mulliner's coachbuilding company changed the original body to a new Tonneau design (as invented by Arthur Mulliner).
Evidence suggests that Arthur Mulliner (or his company) kept 'The Owl' until his death in 1946. However, when participating in the first London-Brighton 'Old Crocks Run' in 1927, it was entered by one S E Statham of Baker Street, and is well documented as having participated in the '28, '29, and '34 events.
Henlys Ltd had taken over Mulliner's coachbuilding business in 1940, and later that decade the Daimler was purchased from them for the VCC by Stanley Sears. Sears had accumulated a collection of neglected early automobiles during the war to save them from the scrap merchants, and following the end of hostilities was engaged in finding homes for them with like-minded enthusiasts.
Denis Flather, of the eponymous motoring dynasty, bought the car in 1952 from Sears' auction to become only its second private owner. A total restoration followed, and in November Denis successfully completed his first Brighton Run. Circa 1953/ 1954 tiller steering returned and in 2015 the hot tube ignition was reinstated (for safety reasons now fired by propane instead of petrol). Rear wheel drum brakes have been added also, made to Daimler's design of circa 1899.
Originally registered 'YU 1572', the car carried the (presumed bogus) numberplate 'AD 1896' when purchased. The current registration, 'W 95', started life on Denis' father's 1903 Werner motorcycle. Its long life has seen the Daimler feature in various publications over the years, commencing in 1954 when a cutaway drawing of it appeared in The Eagle. It also appeared in Sixty Miles of Pencil, a collection of Brighton Run sketches by Messrs Reynolds and Clark published in 1971. In 1973 'W 95' made the front cover of Motor Sport's February edition, being flagged off by Prime Minister Edward Heath at the start of the 'Drive into Europe' rally to Brussels following the UK's admission to what was then the Common Market.
The Daimler is now a veteran of more than 50 London-Brighton Runs. It has also been rallied extensively, completing the Hull-Scarborough event several times and on one occasion being driven around the Swiss lakes. Cruising speed is around 15-20mph and the car will cover around 20 miles per gallon (the tank holds five gallons).
In 1970 Denis Flather passed the Daimler over to his son Michael, who extensively rallied and maintained the car in good running order for the next 52 years, taking the family ownership to 70 years in total. On the 1974 London-Brighton, Michael turned around in Brighton and drove back to Hyde Park, covering 120 miles in the day! On the 1980 FIFA Rally (five days and 350 miles around the South of England) the crew never touched a spanner. What an enticing prospect for the fortunate next owner!
Accompanying the Daimler (boxed) are various spare parts; some useful tools and a starting handle plus odd parts in the drawer under the driver's seat; a roll of original brown leather; a headlight and bracket; and a drip tray. There is also a framed A4 picture outlining a brief history of the Daimler plus a large schematic Daimler Company drawing of the layout of a pre-1900 Daimler. A 2/ 3-full propane cylinder for firing the 'hot tube' ignition is under the passenger seat. A 'Guide to Preparing, Starting and Driving' is provided to ensure this Daimler continues to be driven for many years to come. The car also comes with a most comprehensive history file containing press cuttings and photographs of it in action and undergoing restoration at various times over the years (inspection recommended). Please note the seller reserves the right to retain the registration 'W95' should the Daimler be exported from the UK.
According to The Automobile: "Another likely claim to fame is that this is the first car used for a manufacturer-organised road test, as well as one of the first in Britain to be driven a meaningful distance by women. Two journalists from The Gentlewoman were driven 75 miles in a Daimler by Mulliner from Northampton to their London offices in Arundel Street... Feeling affronted by Mulliner's comment that he called the car 'she' because it 'took a man to manage her', the two ladies determined to prove their worth as motorists and took over for a while from the suitable chastened colonel." The Daimler's history only started to come to light following its acquisition by the Veteran Car Club in the 1940s (see below).
Circa 1900 the car returned to the Daimler factory for updating: the tiller steering being changed to wheel; the front suspension to dumb irons and single elliptical springs; and the cylinder head revised, adding electrical trembler coil ignition to the existing 'hot tube'. It is possible that a rear radiator was added. It is also very likely that Mulliner's coachbuilding company changed the original body to a new Tonneau design (as invented by Arthur Mulliner).
Evidence suggests that Arthur Mulliner (or his company) kept 'The Owl' until his death in 1946. However, when participating in the first London-Brighton 'Old Crocks Run' in 1927, it was entered by one S E Statham of Baker Street, likewise in the 1928 and '29 events. The Daimler also took part in the 1934 and '35 London-Brighton Runs, entered by D J Wren; perhaps the simplest explanation is that the car was on loan from Arthur Mulliner.
Henlys Ltd had taken over Mulliner's coachbuilding business in 1940, and later that decade the Daimler was purchased from them for the VCC by Stanley Sears. Sears had accumulated a collection of neglected early automobiles during the war to save them from the scrap merchants, and following the end of hostilities was engaged in finding homes for them with like-minded enthusiasts.
Denis Flather, of the eponymous motoring dynasty, bought the car in 1952 at auction to become only its second private owner. A total restoration followed, and in November Denis successfully completed his first Brighton Run. Circa 1953/ 1954 tiller steering returned and in 2015 the hot tube ignition was reinstated (for safety reasons now fired by propane instead of petrol). Rear wheel drum brakes have been added also, made to Daimler's design of circa 1899.
Originally registered 'YU 1572', the car carried the (presumed bogus) numberplate 'AD 1896' when purchased. The current registration, 'W 95', started life on Denis' father's 1903 Werner motorcycle. It should be noted the vendor reserves the right to retain the families' cherished registration number 'W 95' if the car is to be exported.
Its long life has seen the Daimler feature in various publications over the years, commencing in 1954 when a cutaway drawing of it appeared in The Eagle. It also appeared in Sixty Miles of Pencil, a collection of Brighton Run sketches by Messrs Reynolds and Clark published in 1971. In 1973 'W 95' made the front cover of Motor Sport's February edition, being flagged off by Prime Minister Edward Heath at the start of the 'Drive into Europe' rally to Brussels following the UK's admission to what was then the Common Market.
The Daimler is now a veteran of more than 50 London-Brighton Runs. It has also been rallied extensively, completing the Hull-Scarborough event several times and on one occasion being driven to the Swiss lakes. Cruising speed is around 15-20mph and the car will cover around 20 miles per gallon (the tank holds five gallons).
In 1970 Denis Flather passed the Daimler over to his son Michael, who extensively rallied and maintained the car in good running order for the next 52 years, taking the family ownership to 70 years in total. On the 1974 London-Brighton, Michael turned around in Brighton and drove back to Hyde Park, covering 120 miles in the day! On the 1980 FIFA Rally (five days and 350 miles around the South of England) the crew never touched a spanner. What an enticing prospect for the fortunate next owner!
Accompanying the Daimler (boxed) are various spare parts; some useful tools and a starting handle plus odd parts in the drawer under the driver's seat; a roll of original brown leather and a headlight and bracket. There is also a framed A4 picture outlining a brief history of the Daimler plus a large schematic Daimler Company drawing of the layout of a pre-1900 Daimler. A propane cylinder for firing the 'hot tube' ignition is under the passenger seat. We are advised that the new owner should check the state of the antifreeze in the cooling system, which may need strengthening. A 'Guide to Preparing, Starting and Driving' is provided to ensure this Daimler continues to be driven for many years to come. A trailer is included in the sale (buyer to collect) and the car also comes with a most comprehensive history file containing press cuttings and photographs of it in action and undergoing restoration (inspection recommended).
This Lot is available to view at 101 New Bond Street from Friday 28th October to Friday 4th November during normal business hours
