Description
I bought this car in 1973 and therefore it is very much an old friend.
The car was produced in 1960, an “A” Spec, but I had it completely restored 2010-13 to better than “B” Spec standard.
The very fine 2. 5 litre V8 engine in the car was designed by Daimler for a new luxury saloon that never materialised. In 1958 the company decided to put it into a sports car and for this they chose a TR3 chassis clad in their own GRP bodywork. The resulting SP 250 was launched at the 1959 Motor show but it failed achieve expected sales. In 1960 the company was taken over by Jaguar who didn’t need a sports car because of the “E” Type, and in 1964 they discontinued it. But they kept the engine, putting it into the Jaguar saloon.
The best part of an SP250 is its V8 engine. It produces about 40per cent more power and torque than the TR3 engine, peak torque being lower in the rev range too. The SP250 is therefore a very flexible spirited performer. However, the fibre body adds little stiffness to a relatively unsophisticated chassis and the potent engine makes greater demands of it. Jaguar engineers were unimpressed by the chassis flexing and they soon added the extra rails to stiffen it, improving ride and handling
Certainly, as “A” Spec, my car was very lively and the doors did let go under rapid cornering on an uneven road. During the restoration great attention was paid to the chassis. It was sand blasted and checked over carefully before it was strengthened. After it was Plascoated the rails and scuttle reinforcement were added..
The changes made make it a joy to drive. It is now far stiffer and it seems to sit more firmly on the road. The engine starts easily, it runs beautifully smoothly and makes progress easy and quick ( 0-60mph in 2nd and 20-125mph in top, what’s not to like? ) The Overdrive makes main road work more relaxed and economical.
For me it is a fine-ish weather car as I don’t care to drive it with the hood up. The fibre body provides little sound insulation between the cabin and the mechanicals. With the hood up one is very aware of all the various car noises. Hood down, one is in the open air and all one can hear is the wonderful call of the V8 exhaust.
The only real problem is not the car, it’s me. When I bought it I was a young man and able to leap in and drive with some brio. Fifty years on and it’s a different story. Now, I am not getting the use out of it that I should, in fact it has done few miles since it was restored. So it is time to part company and allow someone else to have the pleasure of enjoying it. My SP250 was first registered in Jun 1960 , one of the first batch of 190 RHD “A” Specs produced.
The buff log book tells the early story: The first registered owner had the car for only six months. The second, a lady, owned the car for nine years. I believe she died and the third owner bought the car from her estate in 1970. I then bought it from him in 1973 and have owned it ever since.
I used it as my everyday car for a number of years before it was laid up for a while I worked away. In 2010 we decided to have it restored and it went to Robert Grinter in Essex for a full nuts and bolts restoration. (Receipts and photographs are available.)
Fortunately, the 50 year old chassis was found to be in good condition. It was stripped, sand blasted, strengthened, dipped and finally PlasCoated. “A” Specs chassis were notoriously whippy with a tendency for doors to fly open so B” Spec chassis rails were fitted together with the steel hoop under the scuttle to stiffen up the structure.
New rear suspension was fitted with better axle location and new telescopic dampers fitted all round.
Rack and pinion steering was fitted. New brake discs were fitted with vac servo assistance. The steel wheels looked OK but as they can be prone to issues we replaced them with new wires all round.
The engine was stripped and rebuilt with components selected by equal weight. It was then dynamically balanced by a specialist. An alternator was fitted, The radiator was uprated and fitted with an electric fan.
The gearbox was refitted with an overdrive, operational on 3rd and 4th, to take top from 20 to about 23 mph/ 1000rpm.
The GRP carbody was resurfaced and refinished using Jaguar BRG, correct for the era. When refitted to the chassis the interior was then retrimmed with tan Connolly hide throughout, together with new green carpeting and green mohair hooding.
This was an expensive job but the aim was to produce a car that it should have been when new.
With a car of this age there are always jobs to be done but all the big expensive ones have been sorted and will not recur. Many years of trouble free driving lie ahead.
The car is not concours but it is well presented and draws flattering comments from those who see it. It has been well maintained and goes really well. It is a drivers car that needs to be driven. As any SP owner will tell, the engine is a joy to use and listen to.
Restoration by Robert Grinter - details above
maintained by Jim Stokes Workshops - details above
Current storage South Coast Storage - details above
