1963 Daimler 250 V8

All in all, we think this is a highly characterful car in decent cosmetic condition for its age and with solid, recently fettled mechanicals that should keep it honest and enjoyable for a good few years yet.

It’s a long way from perfect, but measured in Jaguar Mk 2 terms (the car with which it shares its body and many underpinnings), it’s much nearer to Morse’s cossetted and cherished example than it is to Withnail & I’s basket-case scrapper.

The car starts first time on the button (literally), and it drives and handles well, although the first purchaser, for reasons known only to him- or herself, chose not to tick the power steering box on the options list. Consequently, you wouldn’t want to take this car over a twisty mountain pass unless you had forearms like Popeye and felt like a workout.

This car was born in the year that the Beatles released their debut album, Lamborghini stared making cars, Christine Keeler was arrested for perjury and JFK was assassinated. So, it’s getting on a bit.

It looks great from 20ft away. And it’s a lovely colour. A closer inspection tells the slightly more accurate - but by no means shocking - story of its years.

The paintwork has a scratch here, a ripple there, and scuffs, marks and micro-blistering here, there and elsewhere (but not everywhere). The interior is in good fettle generally – and certainly for its age – but there are some decidedly ‘quirky’ aspects to it – more of which later - and there are plenty of cosmetic jobs to be done if the future owner fancies getting it to the next level.

Mechanically the car seems perfectly sound and we’ve discovered no serious rot and hardly any rust at all.

And so to the mileage. Well, nobody knows. The odometer is clearly delusional but it is at least consistent in being ridiculously wrong when you look through the papers!

Even the briefest look at this vehicle’s MOT history as recorded on the gov.uk site will make your brain hurt. We thought that the only car capable of travelling backwards and forwards through time was, in fact, a DeLorean. But no, this Daimler 250 V8 can also do it.

So, here is just one sample sequence:

10.4.10 – 3,045 miles

29.6.12 – 13 miles

21.6.13 – 5,088 miles

3.7.14 – 589 miles

It’s bonkers.

But it’s not any kind of skullduggery – just a mad odometer – and the very good news is that it has passed 9 times in the DVLA’s digital history.

Which is why we’re happy to go with the car’s condition, the money that’s recently been spent on it and the fact that it drives as it should. All of which observations tell their own, rather more meaningful story.

The vendor, who really hasn’t had much opportunity to do much more than spend some money on it, is selling because he needs the space for another classic, one that’s just returned from being fettled – a splendid 1936 Alvis Silver Eagle.

We are reassured that a chap with such obvious good taste was happy to buy and own this Daimler.

It’s a handsome car, there’s no mistaking that, and taken as a whole it really does look very smart indeed.

The Damson Red colour seems to suit the model and is somewhat redolent of Inspector Morse’s Jaguar-badged doppelganger.

Unsurprisingly, given that it’s recently been treated for any bodywork corrosion, there’s no serious bubbling or rust anywhere that we can see. However, the car would seem to have had various people approaching it with a paint gun over the years, some with rather more innate skill and dexterity than others. So, the paintwork is a bit of a curate’s egg: it’s good in parts.

There is the odd run or ripple here and there, and in places - notably the sills and below the bumpers - the paintwork looks a little rough, ready and orange peel-y. There are also several areas that show signs of micro-blistering.

There are no creases or dinks to speak of but some of the shut lines and panel gaps exhibit somewhat less than laser-guided precision and evenness. We would argue, though, that this is in keeping with the car’s age and is part of its authentically patina’d charm. You may disagree.

The chrome work is in pretty good condition, although the chrome strip is lifting around the rear screen on the o/s and there are some small pock marks on the chrome mountings for the rear light clusters.

The car has matching Avon tyres all round and wire wheels with Jaguar branded spinners.

The light beige vinyl upholstery is in generally good condition and comfortably belies the car’s age. The carpets, too, are reasonably good, if a little ‘home-made’ in appearance and, quite possibly, provenance.

The roof lining has definitely seen better days and is, variously, sagging, dragging, fraying or ripped, depending on where you look, but it is all there. The door cards, handles and windows are in good working and cosmetic order, although the whole interior would probably benefit from a spot of elbow grease to clean it up a bit.

The car boasts its original radio, so you should be able to tune into ‘Arthur Askey Time’ or ‘The Men From The Ministry’ whenever the Home Service or Light Programme allow.

The real puzzle in the interior is what a previous owner has apparently chosen to do with the dashboard and fascia. It seems he or she had some pathological dislike of rich and glossy dark wood veneers and has opted instead for, well, we’re not entirely sure what. Suffice to say, perhaps, that a quick Google surf reveals that all the parts of the dashboard are available for not much money should you wish to restore it to its former glory. You may also want to turn your attention to the door cappings, which seem to have succumbed to a similarly inexplicable aesthetic whim.

The boot is cavernous and largely clean and tidy, with a spare wheel and jack under the floor. The carpet may or not be to your taste. A look under the carpets anywhere in the car reveals….no rust to speak of.

Overall, the undersides look surprising good for a car of this age. Yes, there is some corrosion and there are places where this has produced flaking of the metal. But the undersides have been reassuringly slathered with bitumen and the exhaust system looks pretty new. It all looks fairly solid to us.

The engine bay has a few areas of superficial rust, but everything is where it should be and there is nothing we’ve seen to raise a frown or prompt a tut.

All suspension, braking and running gear components have been given a thorough check in the last couple of years, and everything that needed replacing, refurbishing or tapping with a rubber mallet has been addressed and dealt with.

The car starts instantly you press the starter button, and all major functions work. We think there might be a circuit drain or a weak battery as it does need a charge every couple of days.

There is no service book with the car, but it does have some bills, invoices and old MOTs plus, of course, the digital MOT trail on the gov.uk site, where you’ll be able to witness for yourself the miracle of the mileage that goes down with age.

According to the DVLA it’s had just 3 owners in its 57 years.

Apart from that, its history is a mystery.

The important thing, though, is that you can see that it’s had a good deal of money spent on it recently - £460 on corrosion treatment and paintwork in 2020 and, in 2019, over £4000 on the following:

* New front and rear hub bearings

* 2 new sub-frame mountings

* New fulcrum shaft and bushes

* New brake cylinders

* New brake flex pipes

* Free off calipers and replace 3 piston assemblies

* Check suspension, handbrake, braking systems, fluids, hoses

* Refit tyres, with new tubes, to wire wheels

* Balance wheels

This venerable Daimler doesn’t need an MOT but, we’re pleased to report, it has one. It is valid until 17.1.21 and it has no advisories.

Please visit the documents section of the gallery of this listing where you will find photos of this and other paperwork to support our claim that this car has been maintained to a very good standard.

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 think this is a good example of both the model and the marque. What it lacks in documented history it makes up for in charm, character and mechanical integrity.

In our opinion, this lovely 1963 Daimler could be happily bought and enjoyed as it is, or it could become the deserving subject of an ambitious restoration programme. Either way, it’s a classy and largely authentic act and has had all the important stuff on the ‘what to worry about’ list sorted recently. It should give its new owner a great deal of pleasure.

We’re happy to offer this vehicle for auction with no reserve and an estimate in the range of £7,000 - £10,000.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; 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’.