Descrizione
This is very much a local car and has strong ties to Cundalls, Malton, a well-respected property and estate management company founded in 1860. Owned by members of the family three times since the car was manufactured in 1962, it was purchased by the recent owner’s mother when new, in 1975 purchased back its first owners husband before coming back to the family in 2006. All the way back in 1962 the Daimler was supplied new from Ernie Wilkinson of Prospect Garage in Scalby who owned the local Daimler franchised dealership. Registered new 11 CAJ, the Daimler was bought new by Mrs Cundall, replacing an open topped Austin. The Dart was used regularly, and details in the history file confirm the car toured on the Continent in its early years, touring the South of France.
Having owned the car for a number of years from new, due to ill health the Daimler was given back to Ernie Wilkinson to sell, and he sold the car to a Nursing Sister working at Scarborough Hospital. The new owner drove the car for several years, reportedly never exceeding 60mph! Eventually it was bought back by Daimler dealership owner Ernie Wilkinson for the use of his companion (who interestingly had raced Bugatti's in her youth) and also worked at the Scalby based Daimler garage. By this time, both in their 70's, Ernie had his own Daimler Dart, and the two cars used to stand together at the showroom in Scalby and were occasionally taken out. On the death of Ernie Wilkinson, the garage and all its contents were left to his Foreman, and it was at this point the first owners' husband, Mr Cundall purchased the car back during 1975.
The Daimler had substantial renovation work between 1980 and 1982 before Mr Cundall sold the Daimler on to a Hornsea based couple who later moved to the York area. Invoices are on file to include engine work, regular mechanical upkeep, re-trimming work, and the invoices continue right through the 1980's and 1990's. They owned the Daimler from 1982 to 1998 when the car finally left Yorkshire with a mileage little over 65, 000, heading to a Lieutenant Colonel in Selkirk for three years, before heading to a second Scotland based owner in Glasgow from 2001 to 2006, before being re-united with the Cundall family with the mileage displaying almost 80, 000. Since 2006, the Daimler has had very little use covering just a few hundred miles. In 2009 a Malton based garage fitted new front coil springs, front and rear brake discs and pada but in 2014 the car was handed to a local restorer for a major refurbishment program.
In 2014 the Daimler was fully stripped down, the interior removed, the car fully dismantled and the body was then taken off the chassis. The chassis was then fully stripped and sent for blasting, was then fully re-furbished, re-painted and built back up. The body was re-fitted to the chassis, prepared and fully re-painted and then built up with new rubbers and seals. Other work included all new reconditioned brake calipers, new exhaust and mountings, new clutch, electronic ignition, a new set of tyres and new heater matrix. The car was fully checked over mechanically and was then collected by its long term owner who since completion of the work has covered just 300 miles and now feels the car should be owned by someone who can enjoy and use it.
What we really love about this car is that we know its whole life, we know who has owned it, what has been done with it, and it has some unique ownership history that just makes the car even more special. Whilst it presents very well indeed, it has the feel of an honest, well loved car. The paintwork nine years and just a few miles on presents well with a nice, deep finish, brightwork is very smart throughout, and whilst the car was re-trimmed in the late 1980's, it has the feel of an original, beautifully aged trim. The chassis is fantastic and gleaming, still looking fresh since restoration. The engine bay is clean, and finished in an incredibly nice colour combination and still retaining its fabulous original registration mark, this car really does look the part.
II CAJ has a fantastic strong engine holding great oil pressure, the V8 engine sounds superb and the four-speed gearbox is lovely to use. Having had very little use over the past few years, the Daimler has just been through our workshops for a comprehensive service, re-conditioned water pump, new master cylinder and clutch slave cylinder, new rear brake pads and handbrake pads, new distrubutor vacuum pipe, new brake caliper seals as required, new rear hub oil seals, all new flexible hoses (clutch and brakes) and carbs were stripped, new needles fitted and then set up. Now ready to use and enjoy, this is a fabulous car with lovely provenance and local history, and is a car that will give its next owners great pleasure.
