1968 Daimler 250 V8 – Project Profile

You might think there is nothing cooler, or with more old school presence than a classic Jaguar. You would, however, be wrong. Why? Because there is something even more special than a Jaguar, and that’s a Daimler. Especially if it’s a Daimler 250 with the legendary hemispherical V8 engine under the narrowing, long bonnet. Happily, the car we have for your delectation this week is exactly that – a 1968 Daimler 250 V8. One of the last of its kind. And while this is indeed Project Profile there is no heavy restoration needed here. Instead, some light recommissioning will see this V8 take to the streets again. Do that, enjoy it ‘as is’ or take it to the next level and restore it to show standard. It’s up to you.

What is it? 

Well, as we’ve touched on, it’s a 1968 Daimler 250 V8. It’s an interesting car, the Daimler 250, in that it was the first Daimler to use a Jaguar as a platform, but was also the last to use a Daimler engine. The engine is the Edward Turner designed 2.5-litre V8, which was fist seen in the SP250 ‘Dart’. With compact dimensions and clever hemispherical combustion chambers it was and still is a great engine. Especially in the case of this particular car, but we’ll get to that later.

Being a Daimler, it had lashings of luxury as one would expect. This car is one of the last, meaning it’s the model that had a very small facelift. Slimline bumpers featured, negative earth electrical system, an alternator instead of the old school dynamo and each carb had its own filter arrangement. It also had a heated rear screen – such opulence. This car has been in a private collection for a number of years, and is now being offered reluctantly as the owner needs some space back. It needs some love, but it’s on the button.

Why is it a project? 

Firstly, we really need to stress than this isn’t a project that’s going to take thousands of pounds and years of work to get back on the road. In fact, if you’re handy on the spanners, this could be sorted for road use in a couple of weekends. It has been dry stored for a number of years, but prior to that the engine was completely rebuilt and as such, is in rude health. The only other considerations are thing like the brakes, the fluids and the tyres which will all need inspecting or renewing in the name of safety. The car is solid as a rock underneath, and needs no welding from what we can see.

The second part of this Daimler’s project status is subjective. Once it’s running, you could go all out and have it repainted, have the chrome restored and have everything renewed. It would respond well, there is no doubt. However, while the car does have some patina and some evidence of life, there is nothing inherently wrong with it. You could enjoy it as it is, which is exactly what we would do. There aren’t many cars that can pull off the ‘weathered’ look, but this Daimler is one of them. Plus, it would be far more usable as you’d be less precious about it.

What should you look for? 

The hard work has been done here, as this 1968 Daimler 250 V8 is currently on our auction platform. As such, one of our team has been out to evaluate the car and take a huge number of pictures. We’ve put together a detailed listing, and as such, we’ve covered most of what you need to know. Of course, a viewing is always encouraged with a project, and if you do you’ll want to check the trim, the suspension, have a listen to the glorious V8. But from what we can see, there is nothing here to fire up alarm bells. If we could bid, we would. It’s glorious.

What should you do with it? 

If it were our money, we’d go through it mechanically. New rubber, new brakes, get the engine tuned, throw in fresh fluids and filters and, well, that would be it. Oh, and we’d remove the front hubcaps so they match the rear wheels. There’s just something so effortless and cool about an old Daimler that has a bit of life to it, a bit of a story if you will. This car is the very embodiment. Get it mechanically dialled in, then enjoy it. Classic car perfection, right there.