Vehicle Description
1977 Daimler Series II Double Six
Daimler is one of Britain's oldest marques and has a history
stretching back to the dawn of the automobile. Their very first
cars were built under license from Gottlieb Daimler and quickly
became official transportation for British royalty. Fit for kings,
Daimlers were well appointed, and this reputation was enhanced in
1909 with the adoption of sleeve valves. First patented by pioneer
Charles Knight in 1908, sleeve valves were fairly new when Daimler
took the bold move to include them a year later. They replaced
standard poppet valves with moving sleeves that surrounded the
piston to uncover intake and exhaust ports. This complex system
worked without return springs, and enabled very high engine speeds
with less stress than a conventional pushrod design. Daimler
decided that the resulting quieter ride would offset the slight
haze left by the exhaust as oil slipped between the sleeves.
Despite offering numerous models and having royal support, Daimler
wanted to take an extra step after Rolls-Royce released their
feature-rich Phantom in 1925. To stay competitive, Chief engineer
Laurence Pomeroy decided to make the most of Daimler's engineering
and adopt sleeve valves in a new seven liter V12. To do so, he
mated two existing six cylinder, 25/85hp engines to a common
aluminum crankcase and refined the sleeves to reduce oil
consumption. The XJ6 hit the British market in September 1968,
followed a year later by the more expensive Daimler Sovereign
version with minor trim differences only, (badge engineering in
Britain-we've heard that before!). The launch included TV
advertisements featuring Sir William Lyons describing the car as
"the finest Jaguar ever." By the end of 1969, all the old Jaguar
and Daimler saloons were gone. In 1972, Jaguar first showed the
XJ12 and Daimler Double-Six, (reviving an old Daimler name).
Although the car and engine had always been designed for each
other, unlike the V12 E Type for example, the engine was still a
very tight fit and great lengths had to be taken to keep everything
cool-the battery had its own cooling fan, for example; the radiator
fan spun at faster than the engine at low speeds; and additional
valves fitted to the fuel system controlled vapour lock. But, as
the only mass produced V12 car in the world, it boasted superb
levels of refinement, quietness, smoothness and ride comfort.
For consignment, platform sharing at it's finest between Jaguar and
the well recognized Daimler marquis. This Series II Double Six is
built with a long wheelbase and 12-cylinder engine, thus the double
six name. Bathed in beautiful white over blue, this luxury cruiser
was for those who wanted the prestige of owning a Jaguar,albeit
something just a bit different. A leather appointed interior with
some burl to boot, and a mere 43,151 kilometers or the ticker,
believed to be and judging from my watchful eye as actual, however,
the title reads miles exempt, just play it up a bit! Delivered new
to Geneva, Switzerland, then purchased by a French National and
shipped to his home in Naples, FL where it was faithfully serviced
and all the receipts and invoices are included with your purchase.
Now with its 3rd owner, our consignor, this car is the perfect
example of a low mileage, highly maintained and properly stored
luxury skate from across the pond. Read on and sit yourself in the
lap of luxury.
Please Note: This vehicle is a Daimler, however is titled as a
Jaguar.
Exterior
Very straight 100 percent rust free steel panels adorn the exterior
of this car. They are covered in Old English White paint which
presents with a nice shine and only a few stonechips and other
small flaws. From its long front swept "bonnet" which is flanked by
aerodynamic fenders with dual round headlights on either side, and
a centered grille, to its "boot" aerodynamics were always in mind.
Adding an extra touch of class is the dark blue padded roof
covering the passengers. Plenty of shiny chrome and brite work
adorn this car at the bumpers, grille, drip moldings and window
surrounds. Even chrome tipped dual exhaust pipes are seen peeking
out from under the shiny rear bumper. Brilliant!
Interior
Pop open the doors and you are met with a nice combination of
striking wood, straight flat design, and classy but very slightly
worn with time leather buckets up front. While the leather remains
intact, one must exercise caution upon entry and exit as the hides
have become slightly dry and brittle. The center console houses the
power window switches, and a petite "T" shift lever reminiscent of
the '60's. Also noted are plenty of toggles, an AM/FM/Cassette
stereo and dial controls for temperature, fan speeds and air
ducting. A couch-like bench seat with 2 distinct seating areas is
seen stretching across the spacious back passenger compartment. The
headliner is nice and tight, and Wilton carpeting to match seats is
in good condition. A shout out to the burl dash which is just
beautifully preserved with just a few faults and a bevy of
roundSmith's gauges. Bob's your uncle!
Drivetrain
Under the long lean bonnet a 5.3 Liter DOHC V12sits comfortably in
the nicely presenting engine bay. It is fed a fuel and air mixture
by Bosch-Bendix-Lucas D-Jetronic fuel injection. Attached to the
back of this engine is a TH400 3-speed automatic transmission that
shifts smoothly. The rear axle shows in 3.07 gear
configuration.
Undercarriage
Clean, rust free and sturdy, and covered in an undercoat with no
signs of any invasive rust here. Power disc brakes for all 4
corners, as well as independent coil springs all around. A cracking
good show!
Drive-Ability
I called upon my crack decoder to chauffeur me around the test
track for this one, and I'm glad I did. I was even joined by our
well versed British car specialist, TheSloane Ranger, for my time
soaking in the finer things in life. Popping in it fired right up
and on the test track it performed well. All functions were working
at the time of my drive and as mentioned earlier, great care was
taken with the leather seating.
A taste of luxury Daimler Jaguar power and early platform sharing
from across the pond. This classic and well kept classic saloon
starts quickly, shifts smoothly, and puts on a nice showing dressed
in its "cracking", (not cracked!), Old English White over dark blue
with nice chrome. The interior has creature comforts, and a nicely
preserved wood dash panel with plenty of gauges and toggle
switches. Early British luxury with a very smooth ride.
Classic Auto Mall is a 336,000-square foot classic and special
interest automobile showroom, featuring over 850 vehicles for sale
with showroom space for up to 1,000 vehicles. Also, a 400 vehicle
barn find collection is on display. This vehicle is located in our
showroom in Morgantown, Pennsylvania, conveniently located just
1-hour west of Philadelphia on the I-76 Pennsylvania Turnpike. The
website is www.classicautomall.com and our phone number is (888)
227-0914. Please contact us anytime for more information or to come
see the vehicle in person.
