Vehicle Description
Chassis No. 53903
OFFERED WITHOUT RESERVE
With a tradition for sound engineering paired with a quality design
and good workmanship, Daimler would quickly become the official
transportation of the British Royal Family. Having just released
the DB18 in 1939, the outbreak of World War II would result in the
majority being constructed following the conflict. Now offering
independent suspension and Daimler's customary fluid flywheel
pre-selector gearbox, an all new drophead coupe would appear at the
first post-war London Motor Show in 1948.
Established in 1805, Hooper & Co., based in Westminster, London,
specialized in creating top-tier, coachbuilt bodies and responsible
for bodying the first ever royal car which was delivered on a
Daimler chassis. Proudly building bodies without consideration of
cost, these models were not meant to be sporty but rather focused
on stately, elegant designs. While many exquisite designs were
crafted by coachbuilders for the Daimler DB18, only one of these
designs can make the claim of first being built for King George VI
- the drophead coupe bodied by Hooper & Co.
This example, produced in 1952 just before the final model year,
has the privilege of being one of the very few DB18 models to
receive similar drophead coupe Hooper & Co. coachwork to that first
built for King George VI. As expected, this Daimler was an
extensively well optioned vehicle for 1952, equipped with a solid
wood curved dashboard made from Australian camphor wood, automated
convertible top, and power windows. The only known DB18 to feature
such coachwork in North America, it is believed that only six DB18
would ever receive these special Hooper & Co. bodies. First
delivered to Esquire Wallace May of Birmingham, England in 1952, it
was eventually purchased by Mr. Ernest Stern of Pittsburgh, PA who
imported the vehicle to the USA in 1972. A multi-faceted
entrepreneur and car collector, some estimate Mr. Stern owned
nearly 400 cars at his time of passing in 1989 of which his estate
would sell soon after. It was during this time that the Daimler
passed to its most recent caretaker in 1995.
Smartly enjoying the Daimler for a number of years, it was not
until 2012 that the current owner commissioned a complete ground-up
restoration. Completed in 2017, this Daimler was exquisitely
restored to its current two-tone British Racing Green and Tan over
a Tan leather interior. As per the consignor, only three of the
original Hooper & Co. bodied drophead coupes still remain, making
this a truly special opportunity to acquire a remarkably rare and
collectible vehicle that without exaggeration, is truly fit for
royalty.