Descripción
A truly outstanding example of Daimler's Special Sports, bodied by Barker. The car was restored to a quite exceptional standard by the renowned David Davenport in 1997 and was awarded 'Car of the Show' at the NEC Classic Motor Show that year. Since then the car has had three fastidious owners and has covered just 5000 miles. It remains in superb condition bodily and mechanically and regularly wins Club Concours prizes. Modesty aside, I know of no better example.
Daimler produced just 500 of these Special Sports between 1949-53. Based on the proven DB18 chassis, the Special Sports carried a wonderfully flamboyant drop-head coupe body, produced by Barker, Daimler's in-house coachbuilder, and had a twin-carburettor six-cylinder engine mated to a pre-selector gearbox including an overdrive top gear. The result is an elegant and refined grand tourer with astonishing 'presence'. Daimlers of this period were beautifully engineered and the Special Sports really does stand comparison with contemporary Bentley and Alvis drop-head coupes - which today cost considerably more!
Paintwork, in Rolls Royce colours, is opalescent maroon over silver. The hood, which is fully lined is in deep red. The all-leather interior is in cream piped in dark red.
The restoration, which was a total chassis-up job and which included a full engine rebuild, is evidenced by photographs.
The Daimler is easy to drive with its pre-selector gearbox and cruises effortlessly at high speed.
As shown in the photographs, Barker Special Sports have a side-ways facing rear seat, which can be fitted either on the left or on the right. This car has a further option: a previous owner had made a second rear seat, trimmed as an exact match to the original and these two rear seats can be positioned to face forwards, making them especially suitable to transport children. Rear seat belts are fitted for use when forward-facing rear seats are in use. Three and four seat options are shown in the photographs.
I have included a number of photographs which show particular details of the car and which, I hope, convey the quality of the restoration. Typical of these are trafficators which work but which are supplemented by flashing bulbs in side and tail lights, so avoiding nasty amber indicators. The car has a fitted, indoor cover.
I could not resist this car when I saw it three years ago. I am selling only because with other motoring interests it is just not being used enough. The car was exported, new, to Hong Kong for a senior member of the Colonial Service. It was repatriated and registered for the first time in the UK in 1969. Its second UK owner commissioned the restoration with David Davenport and sold the car when this was completed. The history file contains full details of the two subsequent owners prior to me buying the car.
