Description

1964 Daimler V8 250

From a deceased estate; in the current ownership since 1966; only 40,200 miles from new; last on the road in 2017; starts and runs sweetly but will need recommissioning

As the original green logbook shows, this Daimler V8 was bought new by Mr Costas Christoforou of Weston-Super-Mare in May 1964. He kept it for two years and did 10,000 miles in the car before our vendor acquired it in May 1966 from Victoria Garage of Weston for £1,110 – although they generously knocked £110 off the price in part-exchange for his 1953 Jaguar MkVII (invoice on file).
Over the next 45 years the Daimler was always kept garaged and used on special occasions only, often taking the owner and his son to watch their beloved Somerset play cricket, or to cheer on England in major football games. The service book shows no fewer than 17 stamps up to 29,101 miles in 1978, giving an average service interval of only 1,800 miles. The car has still only covered 40,200 miles to date, subsequent servicing being carried out by a friend and neighbour who, we are told, loved the Daimler at least as much as the owner did.
When the owner died in 2010 ownership transferred to his widow, and thence to his son, the Daimler being kept garaged and barely used apart from annual trips to the MOT station, the last MOT having expired in September 2018. Invoices on file show that it received four new brake calipers in 2014, all the joints were greased in 2017 and a new battery was fitted immediately before the auction.
On arrival at Brightwells the car was soon coaxed into life and ran very sweetly, although it is clear from the MOT history that it has only covered around 100 miles in the last 15 years so it will doubtless benefit from some recommissioning before being pressed back into use once more. Although the paintwork is somewhat tired, the car appears very sound and original with no obvious corrosion to the bodywork and excellent panel gaps. A quantity of useful spares are in the boot, along with the original toolkit.
Being offered here at a very modest guide price, this low mileage Daimler, with effectively just two owners from new, leaves plenty of scope for future cosmetic improvement as desired. A much-loved family member, it is only reluctantly for sale due to relocation and consequent loss of storage.

PS: The Daimler has polished up quite nicely since the first set of photos were taken (as can be seen in the last 5 photos) but it is apparent that the paintwork is microblistered on most panels. 
For more information contact James on 07970 309907 or email [email protected]
MODEL HISTORY
By installing Edward Turner's lovely 140bhp V8 'hemi' into the MKII bodyshell, Jaguar hoped to create a more refined, upmarket car that would appeal to Daimler's genteel client base. The V8 was instantly distinguished from its Jaguar siblings by the traditional Daimler fluted grille and was initially only available with a bench front seat and 3-speed automatic box. Otherwise identical to the MKII, it featured all round disc brakes, independent front suspension and a Panhard rod located live rear axle.
In fact the Daimler enjoyed superior handling to its Jaguar siblings thanks to its more favourable weight distribution, the all-alloy V8 being some 50kg lighter than the weighty XK straight-six. The combination was a brilliant one, with the musical and muscular engine complementing the feline bodywork purrfectly.
In May 1966 Autocar tested a Daimler V8 and timed it to 60mph in 13.8 seconds with a top speed of 112mph, commenting that: "The Daimler’s particular strength is its sweet and near silent running at any engine speed." By the time production came to an end in 1969, some 17,600 had been sold, making it the best-selling Daimler ever.