Daimler SP250
Encyclopedia
Automobile
An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
built by British manufacturer Daimler
Daimler Motor Company
The Daimler Motor Company Limited was an independent British motor vehicle manufacturer founded in London by H J Lawson in 1896, which set up its manufacturing base in Coventry. The right to the use of the name Daimler had been purchased simultaneously from Gottlieb Daimler and Daimler Motoren...
in Coventry
Coventry
Coventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom. It is also the second largest city in the English Midlands, after Birmingham, with a population of 300,848, although...
.
It was launched at the 1959 New York Motor Show, and its greatest success was in the North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
n market. It had a fibreglass body, four-wheel Girling disc brakes, and a 2.5-litre Hemi-head V8 engine
V8 engine
A V8 engine is a V engine with eight cylinders mounted on the crankcase in two banks of four cylinders, in most cases set at a right angle to each other but sometimes at a narrower angle, with all eight pistons driving a common crankshaft....
designed by Edward Turner
Edward Turner
Edward Turner was a British motorcycle designer. He was born in Camberwell in the London Borough of Southwark, on the day King Edward VII was proclaimed King....
. The car was described as a 2+2, but the bench-like rear seat offered very limited leg room unless the front seats were pushed fully forward. Thirty black Daimler Darts with the Borg-Warner Model 8 3-speed automatic were used by the British Metropolitan Police.
Daimler were soon forced to drop the Dart name when threatened with legal action by Chrysler
Chrysler
Chrysler Group LLC is a multinational automaker headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan, USA. Chrysler was first organized as the Chrysler Corporation in 1925....
’s Dodge
Dodge
Dodge is a United States-based brand of automobiles, minivans, and sport utility vehicles, manufactured and marketed by Chrysler Group LLC in more than 60 different countries and territories worldwide....
division, and the car was then renamed the Daimler SP250.
Versions
- A-spec
The original A-spec version could do 120 mph (193 km/h), but the chassis, a “14-gauge ladder frame with cruciform bracing” based on the Triumph TR3
Triumph TR3
The Triumph TR3 is a sports car which was produced between 1955 and 1962 by Standard-Triumph in the United Kingdom. The facelifted variant, unofficially known as the "TR3A", entered production in 1957 and the final version, unofficially the "TR3B", was produced in 1962.-TR3:Although the car was...
, flexed so much that doors came open, marring its reputation. Bumpers were originally an optional extra.
- B-spec
Jaguar bought Daimler
Daimler Motor Company
The Daimler Motor Company Limited was an independent British motor vehicle manufacturer founded in London by H J Lawson in 1896, which set up its manufacturing base in Coventry. The right to the use of the name Daimler had been purchased simultaneously from Gottlieb Daimler and Daimler Motoren...
in 1960, and were immediately concerned about the chassis flex. They brought out the B-spec version with extra outriggers on the chassis and a strengthening hoop between the A posts. There were also other detail improvements, including an adjustable steering column.
- C-spec
The C-spec version, introduced in 1963, had some additional luxuries as standard equipment.
2,645 were produced in total (all specs).
Jaguar built a prototype replacement (known as the SP252) with a neater body style but decided not to proceed with production.
Ogle Design
Ogle Design
Ogle Design is a British design consultancy company, founded in 1954 by David Ogle, based in Letchworth, Hertfordshire.-History:* 1954 Ogle Design was founded and produced many successful designs of industrial and household products....
produced a coupé version called the SX250, but this was not taken up by Daimler and the body design was later used for the Reliant Scimitar
Reliant Scimitar
Reliant's first Scimitar was a coupé based upon the styling of a Daimler SP250 prototype and the chassis of a Reliant Sabre. It was first displayed in 1964. It was powered by a 2.6 L Ford straight six from the Ford Zephyr / Ford Zodiac...
.
Specification
- ENGINE: V type, iron-block, eight-cylinder, water-cooled, OHV, Bore 3 in (76 mm), Stroke 2.75 in (70 mm), Capacity 153 cubic inches (2547 cc) Single high camshaft operated valves through short alloy pushrods. Double heavy-duty valve springs. Aluminium alloy hemispherical cylinder heads. Stiff 5 main bearing crankshaft, dynamically balanced. Compression ratio 8.2:1 Twin SU carburettors. bhp 140 @ 5800 rpm. Max Torque 155 lbft at 3600 rpm. SU electric fuel pump.
- IGNITION: Coil and distributor with auto and vacuum control.
- LUBRICATION: Submerged gear type oil pump. Full flow filter. Sump capacity 1.75 US gallons.
- COOLING SYSTEM: Pressurised radiator with fan, pump and thermostat control.
- TRANSMISSION: 4 speeds with synchromesh on top three ratios. Provision for overdriveOverdrive (mechanics)Overdrive is a term used to describe a mechanism that allows an automobile to cruise at sustained speed with reduced engine RPM, leading to better fuel economy, lower noise and lower wear...
. Automatic optional. - REAR AXLE: Hypoid bevel 3.58:1
- STEERING: Cam type.
- SUSPENSION: Independent front with coil springs. Half elliptics at rear. Oversize dampers.
- BRAKES: Girling Discs on all four wheels, hydraulic operation.
Optional extras
The following items could be ordered for the standard car:- Wire wheels
- Adjustable steering column
- Hard top
- Front and rear bumpers
- Windscreen washers
- Heater
- Fog lights
- Seat belts
Performance
A car with hard top tested by The MotorThe Motor (magazine)
The Motor was a British weekly car magazine founded on 28 January 1903....
magazine in 1960 had a top speed of 123.7 mph (199.1 km/h) and accelerated from 0–60 mph (96.6 km/h) in 8.9 seconds. A fuel consumption of 25 mpgimp was recorded. The test car cost £1,489 including taxes.
Die-cast models
- Spot-onSpot-onSpot-On Models, was a brand name for a line of diecast toy cars from 1959 through about 1967, built in Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom.-A Tri-Ang Product:...
produced a model of the SP250 in the 1960s, available in a number of colours including red and light blue. - Crossway models introduced a model in 2007, available in various colours and with or without the hood up.
Media Appearances
- Modesty BlaiseModesty BlaiseModesty Blaise is a British comic strip featuring a fictional character of the same name, created by Peter O'Donnell and Jim Holdaway in 1963. The strip follows the adventures of Modesty Blaise, an exceptional young woman with many talents and a criminal past, and her trusty sidekick Willie Garvin...
had an ivory-coloured Dart in the early book versions of her adventures, and it also appeared occasionally in the comic strip. - A Dart features briefly in the film The Fast LadyThe Fast LadyThe Fast Lady is a 1962 British comedy film, directed by Ken Annakin. The screenplay was written by Henry Blyth and Jack Davies, based on a story by Keble Howard.It marked the film debut of Julie Christie.-Plot:...
. - A green Dart was used in the ITV Series Heartbeat in 2005.
- Other film appearances can be found at : http://www.imcdb.org/vehicles.php?make=Daimler&model=SP+250&modelMatch=1&modelInclModel=on
External links
- http://www.daimler.co.uk/daimlermodels/html/dart.htm