Are Daimler Darts becoming more widely appreciated?
Discussion
There is an updated version of the Sp250 known as the SP252 which I saw at the NEC Classic Car show back in 2009. IMO it was a lovely looking car but apparently it was killed off because Jaguar saw it as a competitor to the E-Type. To me it's got elements of MGB, TR5 and even Aston Martin convertible in the rear end. Pics are best I could find on the internet.
Totally agree about elements of MG, Triumph & Aston Martin. Apparently, the SP252 project was not believed to be commercially viable, and would have been more costly to produce than the E Type, as well as competing against it. The Daimler V8 engine was also not designed or tooled up for high levels of production.
Will check if I have any better photos as I know the car and the owner.
Will check if I have any better photos as I know the car and the owner.
If anyone comes accross my old dart 919 DYH
red, biscuit leather, dolomite overdrive, rack and pinion, reversed polarity for hidden cd player.
Had it for 20 years 100,000 miles so so regret selling ti pay the school fees
hanker after another one daily
I bought it from Tim at gawsworth hall and sold him my old dark blue one with hardtop that had a reg ending PJ
red, biscuit leather, dolomite overdrive, rack and pinion, reversed polarity for hidden cd player.
Had it for 20 years 100,000 miles so so regret selling ti pay the school fees
hanker after another one daily
I bought it from Tim at gawsworth hall and sold him my old dark blue one with hardtop that had a reg ending PJ
I watched this one at Oulton Park last weekend, looked lovely!
1961 Daimler SP250 - Piers Townsend - photo by Retro-Motoring
1961 Daimler SP250 - Piers Townsend - photo by Retro-Motoring
1961 Daimler SP250 - Piers Townsend - photo by Retro-Motoring
1961 Daimler SP250 - Piers Townsend - photo by Retro-Motoring
RichB said:
There is an updated version of the Sp250 known as the SP252 which I saw at the NEC Classic Car show back in 2009. IMO it was a lovely looking car but apparently it was killed off because Jaguar saw it as a competitor to the E-Type. To me it's got elements of MGB, TR5 and even Aston Martin convertible in the rear end. Pics are best I could find on the internet.
That re-style done as a one-off by William Lyons himself to bring the Dart styling back in line with the Jaguar range, hence the 'E' type front indicator units. The idea was to produce them along side the 'E' type under the family umbrella in the same way the Mk 2 Jaguar did with the V8-250 saloon.Rangeroverover said:
I wasn't sure if david still owned it as its some years since I sold it to him, have you seen it recently
I've just got the information from 'Passport', the club list of cars, I've not seen the car. The owner's name is David. I don't want to post any more personal info in a public forum but if you no longer have his details and you want to get in touch them pm me your contact details and I can forward them to him.I recall back in 2002 seeing a red Dart at a local steam festival at Haigh Hall near Wigan. Quite rare to see one there, and no idea who owned it. Last time I checked the reg no (reg no. 212 fub) on the dvla it came up as untaxed. So we have a Dart out there that's possibly sitting in a barn gathering dust or been scrapped..maybe.
Edited by Jukebag on Saturday 11th July 20:33
neutral 3 said:
Anyone know what happened to J.M. Accessories and their 2 Darts ? I remember their adverts well.
No idea what happened in the end, but I remember John Miller well.He demonstrated building a gearbox at the Hunton Bridge pub meeting - to avoid awkward questions, the boxes of parts came into the pub's private room through the window, and the completed gearbox went home the same way.
He seemed to have great respect for my engineering nous, but was an impossible man to help. His racing SP engine had big valves, three twin-choke d/d Webers and one day at Silverstone I was expected to tell him why it misfired. Asked what revs he was using he would claim 10,000-odd, although I told him I didn't believe it. Any SP engine would do far more expensive things than misfire long before it got to 10,000 even on a missed gearchange, never mind alleged continuous running.
Recommended a friend's rolling road tune-up shop to him and said friend told me the engine hardly ran above 5,000 as the big valves had not been matched with stronger springs so didn't follow the cams. From agéd memory his horsepower on Brian's rollers was only some 5% more than my standard SP road car's.
Back to "what happened to" I think I remember he moved out of Greater London to Fulbourn near Cambridge but even if that's right I don't know how long it lasted.
Allan L said:
neutral 3 said:
Anyone know what happened to J.M. Accessories and their 2 Darts ? I remember their adverts well.
No idea what happened in the end, but I remember John Miller well.He demonstrated building a gearbox at the Hunton Bridge pub meeting - to avoid awkward questions, the boxes of parts came into the pub's private room through the window, and the completed gearbox went home the same way.
He seemed to have great respect for my engineering nous, but was an impossible man to help. His racing SP engine had big valves, three twin-choke d/d Webers and one day at Silverstone I was expected to tell him why it misfired. Asked what revs he was using he would claim 10,000-odd, although I told him I didn't believe it. Any SP engine would do far more expensive things than misfire long before it got to 10,000 even on a missed gearchange, never mind alleged continuous running.
Recommended a friend's rolling road tune-up shop to him and said friend told me the engine hardly ran above 5,000 as the big valves had not been matched with stronger springs so didn't follow the cams. From agéd memory his horsepower on Brian's rollers was only some 5% more than my standard SP road car's.
Back to "what happened to" I think I remember he moved out of Greater London to Fulbourn near Cambridge but even if that's right I don't know how long it lasted.
Allan L said:
roscobbc said:
10,000 rpm may have been a reality
Perhaps if you read my post to the end you will not think so.Edited by roscobbc on Sunday 16th August 02:53
If I need to be clearer then I shall try to be.
I understood your comment that 10,000 r.p.m. may have been a reality to refer to Miller's engine and my post made it clear that not only did it not do 10,000 but it could barely do 5,000 r.p.m.
What happened subsequently in US hot-rodding is quite interesting but not relevant as it must have been later than the period of Miller's racing - I can't pin-point the dates but as I owned the SP250 that ran on Brian's rollers not long before Miller's from 1973-1979 I'd say around 1976.
I understood your comment that 10,000 r.p.m. may have been a reality to refer to Miller's engine and my post made it clear that not only did it not do 10,000 but it could barely do 5,000 r.p.m.
What happened subsequently in US hot-rodding is quite interesting but not relevant as it must have been later than the period of Miller's racing - I can't pin-point the dates but as I owned the SP250 that ran on Brian's rollers not long before Miller's from 1973-1979 I'd say around 1976.
johnxjsc1985 said:
if you need the cash then so be it, but I sold my XJS 6.0l 5 years ago and I have regretted it ever since
I had a Dart back in the 80's and it's the only car I regret selling so perhaps I would again. I have the space and don't need the money but time is the issue. I've just bought a 1966 C2 Corvette convertible with a manual box so in concept a similar car and surprisingly similar in many ways in reality. It's a car I've always wanted and it doesn't disappoint but I can say the same for the Dart. Why am I so good at buying cars and so rubbish at making the decision to sell them? Perhaps it's the pond life that seems to surface when a car is advertised.Gassing Station | Classic Cars and Yesterday's Heroes | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff