Vehicle Description
As Britain's first automaker, it's only natural that Daimler's
history is inextricably linked to royalty, considering
turn-of-the-century cars-or, more accurately, horseless
carriages-were playthings of the wealthy, not the common citizen.
King Edward VII-then the Prince of Wales-took the crown's first
motorized ride in 1898 on (future) Lord Montagu of Beulieu's
Daimler. Montagu later drove his Daimler onto the yard at
parliament's Palace of Westminster, becoming the first "car" to do
so. Prince Edward took delivery of his own Daimler "Mail Phaeton"
in 1900, cementing the mighty 6-hp two-cylinder buggy into history
as the first Royal car. The prince's 1902 purchase of a second
Daimler led to the first "Royal Warrant" issued to an automaker;
similar royal appointments to Daimler soon followed from Spain,
Prussia, and Malaysia. Daimlers served as the primary car of state
for the British monarchy until the early 1950s, when transmission
troubles in the king's Daimler led to Rolls-Royce taking over much
of the royal fleet. Daimler persevered in some form of
pseudo-production until dormancy in 2010, though not without
changing hands seven times. The more modern era of Daimler is
commonly associated as a subsidiary of Jaguar, utilizing shared
platforms and mechanicals but serving as a cushy, upfitted
alternative to the more sporting Jag. Limousines were Daimler's
natural specialty, and the new-for-1968 DS420 became one of
Daimler's most recognizable and long-lived models in its 114-year
production history. The Jaguar Mark X-later branded the
420G-provided the bones for the new Daimler, sharing the engine,
transmission, suspension, interior structure, controls, and much of
the interior appointments, among other commonalities. Though
visually, there was no mistaking a DS420 for its lesser Jaguar
counterpart; the Daimler adds a whopping 21-inches to the Jaguar
wheelbase and wears unique swooping, buttressed bodywork
hand-shaped by British Leyland's in-house Vanden Plas coachworks.
Inside, what could be upfitted was, and the primary limousine
compartment was separated behind a bulkhead. It's important to note
the DS420 was and always has been either a limousine or a hearse.
At no point during its 24 years of production was a DS420 built or
bodied as anything else-at least not officially. At the time of the
DS420's debut in 1968, Vanden Plas previewed a mock-up of a
shortened four-door coupe based on a standard Jaguar 420G floorpan.
Jaguar rejected the proposal, and the DS420 entered production
solely as a long-wheelbase limo. 40 years after that mock-up, a
notable Daimler super-enthusiast and Jaguar collector endeavored to
bring Vanden Plas' experiment to reality. The original four-door
proposal was used as more spiritual guidance than recipe; starting
with a standard DS420 limo, he significantly shortened the
wheelbase, moderately flattened the roof profile, cut the rear
passenger doors for a traditional coupe layout, and extended the
remaining doors by 10-inches to match the new truncated footprint.
The result is nothing short of stunning. It seems Jaguar did the
motoring world a disservice nixing the original proposal-though we
very much doubt the shortened four-door could match the visual
impact of this uniquely elegant DS420 coupe. The mercurial
silver-green paintwork is particularly eye-catching and in
excellent condition, tastefully complimented by a revised interior
space upholstered in beige Connolly leather with green piping and
green Brocade fabric inserts. Where was once a voluminous
six-passenger rear compartment is now simply a sumptuously
upholstered rear bench seat complete with matching throw-pillows.
Most everything else is familiar Daimler DS420 finery. All
controls, switchgear, and gauges present as new, as does the plush
high-pile carpeting and interior chrome trim. The rich burl
woodwork is pristine, and extends through the entire
cabin-including to the rear seating area. A 4.2-liter twin-cam
Jaguar XK inline-six breathes through triple SU carburetors-likely
matching a similarly-equipped E-Type for power-and is managed by a
Borg-Warner 12 three-speed automatic transmission. With a hotter
engine and significantly less leather, wood, and important
diplomats to haul, this compacted DS420 should offer a lush and
assured touring experience beyond even the finest Jaguar Mark X.
Really, cross-country touring is the ideal use-case for this
special Daimler; after the project was completed, the owner shipped
the coupe back to England for an International Daimler & Lanchester
Owner's Club meet, later meeting up with Jaguar World magazine and
88 individual Jaguar owners for a 1,200-mile drive through the
French countryside, where the car took home the "People's Choice"
award. This extraordinarily well-executed feat of historical
revisionism is perfect for a selection of notable gatherings and
events around the globe. Though, unlike most other Daimler DS420s,
you might want to look elsewhere if you plan a future in
chauffeuring. Offers welcome and trades considered For additional
details please view this listing directly on our website
https://hymanltd.com/vehicles/7542-1974-daimler-ds420-coupe/
