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Daimler SP250 Sports Car ‘The Daimler Dart’

mler SP250 Sports Car ‘The Daimler Dart’

 

One of Coventry’s oldest established car companies, Daimler, suffered several management and design upheavals during the 1950s, one of which resulted in the birth of the SP250 Sports Car, shown to the public for the first time in April 1959 at the New York Motor Show. The car was officially launched at the Earls Court Motor Show in October 1959.

One of Coventry’s oldest established car companies, Daimler, suffered several management and design upheavals during the 1950s, one of which resulted in the birth of the SP250 Sports Car, shown to the public for the first time in April 1959 at the New York Motor Show. The car was officially launched at the Earls Court Motor Show in October 1959.

 

Called the ‘Dart’ at first, until Dodge objected, not only did it have styling achieved with a fibre glass body shell, which was an acquired taste, but a magnificent new V8 engine.

 

The chassis was almost a straight copy of the Triumph TR3 layout, as was the gearbox, but there was a longer wheelbase and the Daimler was faster than the Triumph. The body was made of fibre glass as Pressed Steel Limited wanted £100,000 for the dies to produce a metal body. The moulds for the fibre glass were £10,000. Daimler had experience of fibre glass bodies from their bus operation. At first the build quality was somewhat doubtful but after Daimler were taken over by Jaguar in 1960 matters improved.

 

Sales in the USA were never as high as hoped even though an automatic transmission was available as it was, after all, the beginning of the E-type era. Jaguar/Daimler considered a restyle but abandoned it and no further Daimler sports cars were ever built. Production ceases in 1964 after a total production run of 2654 units, which included six prototypes.

 

The Daimler SP250 Owners Club

 

The club operates purely on a subscription free basis and relies solely on the help and generosity of SP owners. It exists for the promotion of the SP250 and therefore tries to be in attendance at all indoor and major shows in the UK

 

The club operates in association with the Daimler and Lanchester Owners Club enabling it to reach a wider audience than it could manage on it’s own.

 

For further information telephone Claude Kearley on 01895 832145 (evenings only) or send an email to webmaster ajwardle66@gmail.com and I will direct your query to the right person in the Club.