1962 Daimler SP250 roadster with Ford 289 V8 Engine
Model: 1962 Daimler SP250 roadster ("B" Series)
Engine: Ford 289 V8
Background Info: Daimler was a British specialty car manufacturer. They built their
first car in 1896! In their very early days, they built their own engines using patents
licensed from the German "Daimler" company, but they were never actually owned-by or
otherwise financially linked to that company. They were entirely British. In fact,
they were best known in England for many years as the preferred supplier of limousines
to the royal family. Toward the end of a long series of distinctive up-market cars,
Daimler introduced a fast new roadster called the "Dart" at the 1959 New York Motor Show.
The Daimler Dart was met with interest, but the model name had to be abandoned because
Dodge had already copyrighted it for their hugely successful economical compact.
Daimler re-named the Dart "SP250" for the U.S. market, and continued using the "Dart"
name in other markets. The SP250 featured a 2.5L V-8 engine which produced about 140BHP
and featured hemispherical combustion chambers. In 1960 Daimler was acquired by Jaguar.
Jaguar felt that the Daimler SP250 chassis was crude and dangerous, so they immediately
redesigned it. They even went so far as to have all unsold SP250's shipped back to
England to be torn down and rebuilt. The improved SP250 was designated "B Series".
Production continued through 1964, but only 2654 were registered and sold.
This specific Daimler SP250 was put up for online auction in January 2007.
The following contruction details were listed in the advertisement:
The rare Daimler SP250 was equipped with a fiberglass body and 4 wheel disc brakes.
This particular Daimler SP250 features a Ford 289 V-8 engine that was installed
in the 1960's, in place of the original 2.5L Hemi V-8. It also has a Ford 4 speed
top loader transmission and a rebuilt 4 barrel carburetor. The original Daimler
chassis is in excellent condition and is very rust free. The fiberglass body is
in excellent shape with no signs of accident damage or repairs. The original black
lacquer paint has cracks and other imperfections. This Daimler SP250 features
knock-off wire wheels, a nice tan top, a new red tonneau cover, and a high quality
red vinyl interior. The car is in nice overall condition with excellent chrome and
it was stored indoors for most of it's life. This Daimler SP250 runs and drives
great and is quite fast!
