IF YOU ARE IN THE MARKET FOR A PROJECT CAR WITH A LOT OF UPSIDE POTENTIAL, CHECK OUT THIS 1964 DAIMLER SP250!
The Daimler SP250 was the first sports car produced from 1959 to 1964 under the Daimler nameplate and the last automobile introduced under the ownership of Birmingham Small Arms (BSA). Daimler, a British manufacturer located in Coventry, England was known as a conservative company that built large cars favored by British royalty and the country’s elite. In 1956, an upheaval in Daimler management took the company in a new direction.
Edward Turner came on board as chief executive of BSA’s automotive division during the management change and was tasked with designing a small vehicle powered by a V8 engine to compete with vehicles being produced by other manufacturers like MG and Triumph. The SP250 was the prototype vehicle presented to a company committee selected to evaluate and make recommendations about the feasibility of taking the vehicle into production. The SP250 drew inspiration from other competing vehicles and made a positive impression on the committee. Projections were that the car would sell 1,500 units in the initial year of production and 3,000 units annually thereafter, with two-third of that production targeted toward the United States. The committee also agreed that the body should be made of fiberglass to lower tooling costs and shorten the production timetable.
Daimler debuted the car, called the Daimler Dart, at the New York Auto Show in April 1959 to mixed reviews. The unconventional shape and appearance of the car drew unfavorable comments from the public but testing done by automotive magazines resulted in the car being praised for its performance. Chrysler, who owned the trademark for the Dart name, threatened Daimler with legal action over the use of the name so with the short timeframe before production Daimler elected to call the car the SP250 which had been the project name for the vehicle.
The “A Spec” frame on early production cars proved to lack the needed rigidity to keep the doors from coming open under certain driving conditions. That issue was resolved Daimler engineering a new “B Spec” frame during the 1960 model year and continued through the “C Spec” frame that was utilized on 1963 and 1964 SP250’s. Minor body modifications took place over the five-year production run.
In 1960, the Daimler brand was sold by BSA to Jaguar. The new ownership did very little in the way of changes or improvements to the SP250 other than to address the frame issues mentioned previously. The sales projections given to the feasibility committee fell woefully short, as 2,654 vehicles were manufactured until production ended in 1964.
This 1964 Daimler SP250 was manufactured in the final year of production. It appears to have undergone an amateur restoration many years ago and would be considered a project car by today’s standards. The powertrain, a 2.5L hemi-headed V8 and four-speed manual transmission, appears to be correct for the car and performs well. The fiberglass body has issues consistent with what one would expect from a 55-year-old vehicle that has been driven and enjoyed and the red paint is weak in places. The engine compartment needs to be completely detailed and the wiring system needs attention as some gauges and lights do not function properly. The tan cloth interior presents well and appears to have been a part of the earlier restoration. The odometer shows 64,017 miles. The chrome on the car is very presentable and shines nicely. The four-wheel Girling disc brakes do a good job of stopping the lightweight vehicle. Overall, this is a running, driving example of an early-60’s British sports car that offers the new owner many options as to the level of restoration.
Evergreen Digital Showroom will gladly entertain reasonable offers on all vehicles we represent. If you would like to make an offer on this vehicle please call sales manager Steve Russell at 417-532-8000 to discuss this further. If you have questions about this specific vehicle, feel free to contact us and we will attempt to provide you with that information.
NOTICE
Because of the number of vehicles we represent we cannot drive every vehicle for long distances. These vehicles have been part of static displays for long periods of time, in some cases for decades, and are subject to the flaws and imperfections consistent with that. While we do our best to disclose all issues we known about a vehicle in our advertising, these are old cars and something that has always worked in the past might not function properly today. Please check the requirements of your state regarding the licensing and registration of classic vehicles and make sure the vehicle you are looking at meets those if applicable. Unless otherwise noted, all vehicles represented by Evergreen Digital Showroom possess a clean (non-branded) title which will be provided the new buyer when purchase funds clear our financial institution. Virtually all of our vehicles are sold as mileage exempt due to their age. We do not warranty any vehicle, nor any part of the vehicle including air conditioning systems, brake systems, electrical systems and gauges, fuel systems, accessories or powertrain components.
These are old vehicles and it is very common for them to require certain maintenance and upkeep for them to be operational. In many cases issues with leaks may develop when being driven after a long period of not being used. This is common, as classic cars at some point will leak fluids. For this reason, we do not encourage buyers to attempt driving their purchase home as we cannot guarantee functional reliability of these vehicles. We strongly encourage prospective buyers to be sure they are comfortable with these issues before purchasing a classic car.
Descriptions of vehicles represented by Evergreen Digital Showroom are intended to be informational in nature and do not in any way constitute any sort of warranty, expressed or implied. Again, these vehicles are presented “as-is, where-is” without guarantee or warranty. Vehicles manufactured prior to 1981 will likely not be included in the databases of companies such as CarFax and AutoCheck that provide vehicle history information to consumers. If you have specific questions regarding a vehicle we urge you to contact us at 417-532-8000.
