1961 Daimler Dart

This fine Daimler Dart was first registered in April 1962 rendering it a considerably more desirable “B-spec” car. When Jaguar acquired Daimler in 1960 they quickly set about curing the woeful lack of torsional rigidity exhibited by the early cars. The B-spec modifications consist of two outriggers along the length of chassis between the axles and a box section hoop which runs up the A pillar on the inside and up under the    instrument panel. Simple but highly effective.

The Dart has been cherished and enjoyed by four previous keepers. During one of these periods of ownership the Dart was restored and finished in its current, non-factory, blue livery. Some other useful aids to modern day drivability have also been made in the form of rack and pinion power assisted steering and a switchable overdrive deployable in both 3rd and 4th gear.

Current owner, Chris, acquired the Dart in September of 2021 to become its fifth keeper and making it the third time he had owned a SP250. With Chris, by his own admission, finding sports car ingress and egress more challenging with the passing years, he is now making this charming Daimler available to its lucky new owner.
 

One of the quirks of Daimler’s SP250 is its fiberglass body, one might think. This is a result of pure pragmatism, however. Daimler were already masters of the art of fibreglass construction methods, using it extensively in their bus manufacturing endeavours. More persuasive perhaps was the fact that the moulds for fibreglass bodies cost around 10% of the £100,000 plus that Pressed Steel Limited wanted for the dies to produce equivalent metal panels.

Our car sports a non-Daimler metallic blue livery, possibly best described as “cerulean?” Daimler did offer metallic blues from the factory but the only one for the Dart was “Metallichrome Mountain Blue” which is less vibrant than this. The shade actually suits the Dart’s unconventional looks very well and an impressive level of metallic flake content is noted. The finish appears expertly applied being smooth and suitably thick and exuding a fine lustre throughout.

The distinctive “catfish mouth” grill is a dominant feature of the front of the car yet still retaining the Daimler signature fluting to its “top lip” and being centred with a large chrome “V” signifying the cylinder arrangement of the engine sitting behind it. The rear of the car boasts both muscular haunches and tapered wings. Divisive the styling may have once been but matured and distinctive it now appears.

This example rests on a set of 60-spoked stainless steel wire wheels affixed at the centre with twin eared spinners with debossed removal instructions. The condition of these appears excellent with the shiny rims being protected from harm by the considerable, period-correct 80-profile of the 165 Vredestein tyres. The black vinyl hood appears to fit tightly, and the rear windows are free from cracking or discolouration. A black fabric tonneau cover is also present and photographed.
 

The snug but sporting cabin is predominantly finished in a sublime dove grey leather. This is lightly textured and adorns the bucket seats, token rear bench, door cards and side panels and dashboard fascia panel. The front seats are arranged into a series of vertical box pleats and the seat backs are finished in grey carpet. These fold forward to provide access to the very occasionally proportioned rear bench. All perches here are in excellent condition.

Chromed Daimler scripted kick plates adorn the car’s thresholds and give way to swathes of tufted carpets. Daimler emblazoned cand edge bound carpet mats are present in the fronts for added utility. The leather door cards are double stitched with parallel lines rising from bottom left to top right. Door pockets and chromed door furniture are also noted.

The fascia panel is lightly padded and dressed in more grey leather. A generously sized pair of Smiths, white on black instruments sit ahead of the river. This speedometer and tachometer sit behind a period three spoke allow steering wheel with deeply varnished wood rim. The overdrive for 3rd and 4th gears is deployed by a column stalk behind this. A quartet of smaller gauges populate a centrally located alloy, machine finished panel, and the indicators and headlight dip are also on stalks. As so often seems the case this quartet is made up of a trio of Smiths gauges and one Lucas interloper. 

The boot is surprisingly generous and practical and trimmed in hard wearing black vinyl. A full-sized spare wire wheel and tyre is housed beneath the boot floor. A tool bag containing jack, spinner tool and mallet is noted. 
 

The styling of the Dart may have divided opinion but the quality of Turner and Wilkes’s superb V8 engine did not. The hemispherical engine was bored to 76mm with a stroke of 70mm to deliver a cubic capacity of 2,547cc. A single central camshaft operates valves through short pushrods acting against double heavy-duty valve springs. The diminutive V8 was originally rated at 140bhp and 155 Ib-ft of torque. It is noted that the V8 took the Dart from a walking pace to a whisker under 130mph in top gear with a turbine like power delivery.

Our example has benefitted from a number of mechanical upgrades, in addition to this. A rack and pinion, power assisted steering set up is now fitted.  A switchable overdrive is now also available for 3rd and 4th gears. A new battery, starter motor, clutch and flywheel has been added to lend this Dart a first-class mechanical condition.

This is a good-looking engine, too. Lifting the bonnet reveals a neat symmetry and plenty of shiny polished alloys. The rocker covers splay out either side of the twin SU carburettors and their SU embossed chrome filter covers. An alloy cased dynamo sits front and centre in the V and wears a Daimler embossed, textured machine plate. The expected information plates and numbers are noted. The underside of the Dart looks equally well preserved with those B-spec upgrades in evidence. A stainless-steel exhaust system is also in evidence here.
 

The Dart comes with a pleasing depth of paperwork. First and foremost is the current V5 registration document in the name of the owner. This classifies the Dart as an Historic Vehicle and MoT exempt and zero rated for VED in the UK. 

There are a number of high value invoices included some from 2022/23. This highlights of these include one for a full engine rebuild in 2010 and an extensive schedule of works undertaken in 2023. Other interesting items include original service manuals and spare part directories.
 

The Daimler Dart was a most un-Daimler like Daimler, perhaps more typical of Jaguar who took ownership in 1960. It soon proved to be an accomplished sports car, however, with that small capacity V8 proving a gem of smooth yet lusty power delivery. With well under 3,000 ever built the Daimler Dart has always been a rare British icon and so it remains today.

This example seems to have it all. A great colourway, sublime restored condition and a number of useful enhancements making a real difference to the Dart’s real-world usability. Thumbing through the invoices gives one a real insight into the thoughtful and specialist care this fine car has enjoyed in recent years, too. The fact that this is owner Chris’s third Dart probably tells you all you need to know about the undeniable allure of these unusual cars. And as Daimler Darts go, this one definitely hits the bullseye.

We are happy to offer this car for auction with an estimate in the range of £30,000 - £35,000.

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located at Bonhams|Cars Online HQ. Viewings are STRICTLY BY APPOINTMENT and we are open weekdays between 10am- 12pm or 2pm-4pm. To make a booking, please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, and read our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.