1971 Daimler DS 420

This motor car is being sold as part of an overseas collection. It has been imported under the Bonhams temporary admission customs bond and is therefore subject to the lower rate 5% import tax if the car is to remain in the UK & purchased by a private individual. The 5% is calculated on the final selling price. For example, if the car sells for £1,000, then £50 is added, making the total amount payable of £1,050.

The winning bidder will receive a receipt for the final hammer value, and proof that HMRC fees are paid. If the car is subsequently exported abroad within 30 days then these fees are refundable.

Lastly, there will be a nominal administration fee of £250 for processing the NOVA application, and payable direct to the shipping company. A completed and processed NOVA will provide you formal proof that all duties & taxes are paid in UK and thus allow you to register the vehicle with the DVLA

In common with the majority of cars in this collection, this vehicle has been on static display for a number of years and there is no history available beyond that displayed in our photography section.

We have not started or driven the car so cannot vouch for its mechanical viability or functionality. It will require recommissioning prior to road use and is sold ‘as seen’.

It is available for view and inspection at our HQ near Abingdon and we will be delighted to show the car to you and/or your appointed engineer.

The 1971 Daimler DS420 we have with us has definitely seen better days and is, in our opinion, a project car.

We can’t offer any judgement on the condition of the engine (the legendary Jaguar XK 4.2-litre unit) or the car’s mechanicals as we haven’t been able to start or drive it.

That said, we have turned the engine by hand and can state that it is not seized.

As with the other cars in this vendor’s collection, our observations are necessarily limited to the car’s cosmetic and structural condition.

We have no history or service record for this car.

We believe it was exported to the USA from the UK in 1987, at which time it had white bodywork. As a LHD car, it may well have been overseas elsewhere before coming to the UK.

We know that the car spent many years in South Carolina and Georgia and that it had been used as a wedding car on occasion.

As far as we can tell, the car became part of the vendor’s collection of static display vehicles sometime in 2013/14.

In 1997 the odometer read 69,810 miles.

Today, it reads 71,281 miles.

The good news is that the bodywork is largely free of dents, dinks, warps, folds or creases. Also, while there is plenty of evidence of oxidisation on and around the panels, it isn’t yet of the galloping rot variety.

The not-so-good news is that the two-tone blue and silver paintwork is decidedly second-rate, there is bubbling and rust coming through on most panels, some kind of tar/oil seems to have dripped onto it here and there, and places not in need of any remedial work are in the minority.

The big front grille is actually in fairly decent nick and the chrome there and around the headlights has held up well. The n/s/f bumper is coming away from the body, thanks primarily to underlying corrosion.

The chrome surrounding the windows is variously tarnished, loose, missing or corroded, depending on where you look.

The wheels look to be in reasonable condition, although clearly in need of refurbishment.

One wing mirror has snapped off (its remnants come with the car), the other has lost its glass. The aerial is held together with electrical wire.

There is work to be done.

The palatial interior is rather better than the exterior in general, although it still falls some way short of being a place you’d want to spend long periods of time.

The leather upholstery is probably the best-preserved feature both front and rear, and has endured the ravages of time and use rather better than some other parts of the car.

We imagine that the diligent application of some soap, water and elbow grease might work wonders here.

The carpets look dusty and shabby throughout but, again, they might reveal their better nature if threatened with a vacuum cleaner and some powerful cleaning agents.

Much of the woodwork on the door cappings is dry and dull. Elsewhere, in the main, it’s not too bad and might respond well to the attentions of a French polisher.

The veneers on the dashboard are really quite good, and have retained a good deal of their original richness and lustre.

We can’t make any claims about the functionality of switches, knobs, levers, toggles, buttons, dials or other electrics as we haven’t been able to start the vehicle.

The rubber trim is perished, cracked or missing wherever you look. The rear panel of the headlining is loose and the rest of it is baggy.

The boot is reasonable.

Lifting up the carpets here or elsewhere on the car reveals plenty of rust dust, some of which appears to be superficial, some more profound.

There is rust and signs of flaking in various places. You will want to take a closer look to determine if, and to what extent, corrosion has compromised the integrity of the structure or mechanicals.

The engine and engine bay appear to be clean and dry and, as far as we can tell, everything is in its right and proper place.

The car comes with no history, no service records and neither an MoT certificate nor a V5.

The 'flying B' mascot on top of the grill has snapped off unfortunately.

If you’d like to inspect the car prior to placing a bid – something we would encourage – then please use the Contact Seller button to arrange an appointment.

We haven’t been able to start or drive the car so our understanding of it is somewhat limited.

There is a good deal of work to be done here, for sure, but to an enthusiast with the right amounts of time and money, it’s far from being an insurmountable task. Yes, the car has issues, but they are not necessarily terminal and could be rectified.

Also, this car comes with an iteration of the famous Jaguar XK 4.2 engine – the same unit that powered a variety of E Types and XJs to fame and glory.

Provided, of course, that the car’s engine and mechanicals prove to be in good working order, this could still be a very viable project or donor car.

We’re confident to offer this car for auction with an estimate of £1,000 - £2,000, plus Bonhams bond payment and £250 NOVA fee.

Viewing is always encouraged. This particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; we are open weekdays between 9am-5pm, to arrange an appointment 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, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.