1978 Daimler DOUBLE SIX

We are delighted to be able to offer you this rather nice V12 Daimler Double-Six Vanden Plas, a car that many considered to the most refined car in the world at the time.

First registered on the 22nd of November 1978, it is a solid and MOT’d example that drives very well following some recent mechanical fettling to address the few issues it initially presented with.

This should mean that all that remains for the new owner to sort out are the few minor cosmetic issues that remain, after which they’ll be the proud owner of a very presentable, beautifully designed, increasingly rare car.

The solid blue coachwork is in a surprisingly good condition; quality control in the late seventies wasn’t that great and the Daimler has had an atrocious attrition rate over the years, and yet this one hasn’t only survived but appears to have flourished.

It’s clearly had some restorative work and paint in the past; the paintwork looks to have a good depth to it, and the panels are straight and fit much better than they probably would have done in-period. There is also a noticeable absence of the sort of dents and dings that all old cars accumulate over the years too, and only a few small stonechips and light scratches to show it isn’t a much younger car.

It’s good inside the door shuts as well, and the wheelarches and sills are sharp and solid too. The boot lid and bonnet, including the undersides, are very good and free of rust. This is, as we’re sure you appreciate, noteworthy stuff.

Fitted with the correct 15-inch Mag-style alloy wheel, it sits on matching Firestone Roadhawk tyres, all of which have plenty of tread as they have only been fitted recently.

As we will never tyre of explaining, our experience shows that matching high-quality tyres are an infallible sign of a caring and mechanically sympathetic owner who is prepared to spend the appropriate amount in maintaining their car properly. Their presence does not, of course, preclude the need for a thorough inspection - something the vendor would welcome, by the way – but do give you a shortcut into their attitude towards maintenance.

Problems appear to be limited to some small rust bubbles, mainly on the lower edge of the rear nearside door and the offside rear wheelarch. They look to be fairly new, and so you should be able to catch them fairly easily. Please see the photos for close-ups of all areas.

The mushroom leather interior is in good shape. Replete with the sort of fixtures and sittings you’d expect to find in such a luxurious vehicle, it has withstood the intervening 42 years very well.

The leather seats, for example, are almost certainly more comfortable than the ones you’re sitting in now; wide and soft and yet curiously supportive, they’re showing only gentle patination, most noticeably on the driver’s seat. A few of the seams are starting to loosen too, but they can be easily tightened and/or re-stitched by any competent car trimmer. Or, you could learn to do it yourself; it isn’t hard, and the tools are cheap. This is a car that needs more time than money, remember?

And some of it has already been done for you as two of the side panels have been retrimmed only recently, and the door cards are very good even if their edges are started to lift a little. On a more positive note, the wooden veneer, one of the areas that shows its age more quickly than most, is very good.

The boot is a bit grubby, but it all looks to be in a decent condition and a thorough valet should bring it back up nicely.

The owner has gone through the car and fitted a lot of new components to get it driving as well as he would like; this work included fitting two new dampers, a fully refurbished steering rack, new track rod ends, a new gearbox rear mounting spring, and a pair of headlights as well as work to reconnect one of the fuel tanks.

He tells us that it now drives well, and the only mechanical problem he has identified as still outstanding is the torque convertor, which is noisy when it is cold. He says it is fine when it has had a chance to warm up, so we think he might be being a bit over-cautious – but then that’s the sort of bloke he is. So, leave it or change it as you see fit, but if it were ours we’d leave it for a while until it gets worse, which leaves you free to address something else.

Like the engine bay, which is a bit grubby and more workmanlike than pretty. Still, there would be worse projects to undertake during the lockdown than the prettification of its mechanical components.

UPDATE: due to a fuel leak, the vendor has just ordered a pair of fuel tanks and sender units which will be fitted on Monday, all ready for the new owner.

The Daimler’s MOT certificate expires in August 2020, and was gained without a single advisory point. The online MOT history shows nothing of any real concern and the car comes with a number of expired MOT certificates plus a sheaf of invoices and bills to confirm the recent work that has been done to it.

Please visit the documents section of the gallery of this listing where you will find photos of this and other paperwork.

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.

NB. We know that many of you will be limiting your social exposure over the coming days and weeks, so if you’d rather not come to see the car in person, please give the vendor a call and ask him if he can shoot a personal video of the car honing in on any areas you’d like him to concentrate on.

As a mechanically sorted, very presentable example of what used to be one of the most (if not the most…) luxurious and refined cars in the world, we expect this wonderful old Daimler Double-Six Vanden Plas to draw an awful lot of interest.

As a very usable example of the breed we think it’s going to take some beating because, in stark contrast to so many of its similarly priced competitors, there are only superficial cosmetic issues to remedy.

As to who it might suit, the vendor, a longtime car enthusiast and friend of the business that we know and trust, suggests that it would find a good home with a marque enthusiast who is looking for a project that needs more time and attention lavished on it than money, a prediction we can’t argue with.

And remember, solid dark blue is a very easy colour to match, so the few piecemeal repairs that are needed to the car’s bodywork would be straightforward to carry out in a home garage.

As to its value, our estimate is that it will sell for somewhere between £4,000 and £7,000, which is very good value for a car upon which someone else has already done the heavy lifting.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with the seller in Upminster in Essex; 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’.

If needed, please remember we have a network of trusted suppliers we work with regularly and can recommend: Classic & Sportscar Finance for purchase-financing, Footman James for classic car insurance Thames Valley Car Storage for storing your car and AnyVan for transporting it.

BORING, but IMPORTANT: Please note that whilst we at The Market always aim to offer the most descriptive and transparent auction listings available, we cannot claim they are perfect analyses of any of the vehicles for sale. We offer far greater opportunity for bidders to view, or arrange inspections for each vehicle thoroughly prior to bidding than traditional auctions, and we never stop encouraging bidders to take advantage of this. We do take a good look at the vehicles delivered to our premises for sale, but this only results in our unbiased personal observations, not those of a qualified inspector or other professional, or the result of a long test drive.

Additionally, please note that most of the videos on our site have been recorded using simple cameras which often result in 'average' sound quality; in particular, engines and exhausts notes can sound a little different to how they are in reality.

Please note that this is sold as seen and that, as is normal for used goods bought at auction, the Sale of Goods Act 1979 does not apply. See our FAQs for more info, and feel free to inspect any vehicle as much as you wish.