1968 Daimler 250 V8 Auto

Description

• Classic British styling
• Fully restored
• Gorgeous sounding V8
• Red interior with white piping
• 10 years with the current owner
• Just 5,800 miles driven in 17 years

Jaguar took over the Daimler brand in the 1960s. The Daimler 250 V8 was one of their many successes. Based on the Mk2 Jaguar body, it featured the sublime Edward Turner designed V8 engine.

The classic Daimler was tuned and it was pitched as a more refined touring model, offering effortless V8 flexibility and gentle cruising.

Only about 17,000 Daimler V8s were built between the period 1962-68. Those remaining are very sought after. They are a perfect combination of curvaceous good looks with a gorgeous sounding, muscular engine. Does it get any better?

History and paperwork

The Daimler 250 was first registered on the 7 January 1969.  That registration date makes this one of the last Daimler 250s. We don’t have a confirmed date of manufacture but all the signs point to it being late 1968. We don’t have any further detail on the early history though I’m afraid.

• Our vendor purchased the Daimler 250 in 2012
• It underwent “a full restoration” between 2012-2016
• In his ownership it has covered just over 3,000 miles
• Much of the time it has been stored
• We have captured a selection of the paperwork in the Gallery, please take a look

Our vendor is now reluctantly selling due to health issues.

Inside

The super interior of the Daimler is a subtle cut above its stable cousin, the Mk2 Jaguar. This one has the bonus of being fully restored too, with:

• Fully retrimmed interior
• New door cards
• New headlining
• New seats
• New carpet

All of which are in excellent condition

The wood trim is a smidgen flat in places, but nothing that cannot be improved in a weekend. The original steering wheel is in place which is a nice period touch. It could do with a refresh.

The classic Smiths clocks, gauges and switch-gear that define these great classic cars is how you’d expect, delightful. The massive practical boot is clean and tidy too.

A great deal of money has been spent in this area as you can see from the Image Gallery.

Outside

As part of the restoration, the Daimler 250 had a full respray with all the work associated with that.

The paintwork overall is generally very good. Our vendor has been very honest in his description and with his images.

He advises, “The Daimler does look very good. However it has had very little use and is now showing some signs of age/blemishes on the paintwork. It requires some TLC to get it back to how it was, which sadly due to health reasons is something I can no longer do”

It is all about perspective with classic cars. Especially with classic cars of 53 years of age.

This Daimler looks great. The expensive and very hard to find chrome is all good. The original steel wheels – with original Daimler hub caps – give the car an elegant look. The slimline bumpers on these later ‘facelift’ models take those following lines to another level.

But it will require some cosmetic attention, as you’ll see from the Gallery. The vendor has been clear and honest about that. The bits could be done as and when. To us they don’t look pressing. A competent DIY hobbyist could deal with it and also add some value to a great looking car. That is for the lucky new owner to decide.

Engine and mechanical

The unstressed V8 is a superb unit. More so when it is coupled to a factory automatic gearbox.

It looks to have been well maintained and sits in a tidy and original looking engine bay. In any event, having covered about three thousand miles in ten years, we don’t expect any issues with these ultra-reliable V8 engines.

The 2.5 V8 delivers 140bhp and should is good for around 110mph.

The engine comes with the factory original SU HS8 twin carburettors with air filters, which is quite rare. That is always a good sign that a classic has been well looked after.

We can see lots of other original items in the bay, even down to the trunnions and fuel joints. We do not see many of these period items featuring on classics of these mature years.

The only upgrade has been electronic ignition, which means the faff of points and condenser letting you down has now gone.

We always ask. This what our vendor says.

“The Daimler starts first time and drives, however we recommend a full service and some checks over as it hasn’t been on a good run for some time now”. How honest is that!

The bottom line.

The Daimler 250 V8 is, without doubt, one of Coventry’s finest. The unmistakable body lines. The V8 burble. The whole package radiates class and performance.

This classic Daimler 250 does look very nice. It has a superb interior. This area can be very tired on these classics, and moreover be very expensive to bring back to this condition.

Long term ownership is often a good sign of a good classic. And with minimal mileage we get the feeling this is a great car. It will need some external TLC. But that is reflected in what we think is an extremely sensible price. Someone is going to bag a fine, honest Daimler 250 V8 and be very happy.

Vehicle Location: Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire SA62 – it’s the responsibility of the winning bidder to make collection / transportation arrangements directly with the vendor.

Have a question about this Daimler 250? Please contact the Evoke team at auction@evoke-classics.com and we will speak to the vendor on your behalf.

Tedious but it’s vital you read this, please.

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