2001 Daimler Super V8 LWB

This is a Japanese market example of Daimler’s superlative big beast and it comes with its original export document and Japanese language maintenance manuals.

The included V5 document shows that the Super V8 was originally registered on the 1st of June 2001, with its first UK registration taking place just under 16 years later, on the 1st of May 2017. Since repatriation it’s had a total of two UK owners.

The main benefit of a car from the land of the rising sun are that it’s never been subjected to the combined sodium chloride and H2O assault that our native cars contend with on an annual basis. As such metalwork longevity tends to be much increased. On the flipside, they tend not to come with much in the way of significant history, but this example has more than most (see the History Highlights section and Photographic Gallery, below).

The odometer currently reads 105,700 kilometres, which is just 65,679 of your English miles and means that the Super V8 has barely even been broken in.

The best news? It’s selling in a No Reserve auction so will be destined for a new home from the very off. Someone could well bag themselves a seriously luxurious bargain…

Okay, let’s not beat around the proverbial bush: this car’s bodywork is pretty much pristine. There is zero evidence of any corrosion anywhere.

The Emerald Pearl paintwork has a real depth (it changes to blue in the sun) and lends the Super V8 a majestic presence. It’s generally flawless except for one or two tiny marks here and there, and retains a deep and even lustre.

Panel fit remains spot on and those long flanks are lovely and straight. Popping the fuel filler often reveals a lot about a car and this one is pristine underneath; that’s something that’s repeated on opening doors, boot and bonnet. Gutters are clear, sills spotless and door shuts without even a touch of grime.

All door and window rubbers remain supple and the discreet 17-inch Solar Alloy wheels present very well, although the rubber is a bit mix and match. Two new Good Year tyres were fitted last year, so we’d be tempted to replace the other two.

The devil is in the detail and, oh my, popping the door on this car reveals a cabin absolutely brimming with it. Heated seats front and rear, picnic tables at the back, a top-end Alpine Concert stereo system, oodles of glorious leather and majestic burr walnut all round.

Is there more? You betcha… twin front airbags, side airbags, auto headlights, wipers, electric mirrors, boot release, illuminated vanity mirrors, map light, electric seat controls, D monogrammed headrests, digital climate control… we could go on.

Just the name of the interior colour conjures images of unbridled decadence: cashmere. The leather seats have only a very light patina, carpets are in very good order indeed and all that wood is chip free. There are a couple of small areas of discoloration on the centre column leather just behind the gear lever housing.

Up top the headlining is pleasingly free from sagging, although the passenger door storage area’s lining is loose; the driver’s door is better but beginning to fray a little – both should be easy fixes, though.

Overall, it’s a lovely cabin.

The boot is clean and lifting the carpet reveals corrosion free metal. There’s a space saver spare wheel fitted.

The engine bay is immaculately clean and a quick look underneath reveals that the underside (a light smattering of road dust and dirt, aside) is in equally good condition. It’s super clean and again, with not even a hint of corrosion. All suspension components look to be in good health.

With 375bhp on tap this is one serious bit of kit and it delivers its wares in a seamless burst of torque. The CATS active ride suspension offers a marginally more cosseting ride than its Jaguar stable mate, but there’s a sport button if you want to tighten matters and turn throttle response up a notch.

It feels like a lovely taut and responsive example but there is some minor fettling to be done. One of the front brake discs has a lip on it and as such it sounds a bit scratchy on the move. We’d recommend having this and the wheel alignment checked before the new owner embarks on any substantial trip.

As stated earlier there’s a reasonable amount of documentation in the Super V8’s history file. Now my Japanese is relatively negligible but the give-away English phrase ‘Maintenance Record’ leaves no doubt as to the content of the stamped pages within one particular document.

You’ll need to show off your language skills to decode it, but the fact it’s there at all is a very good indicator – you even get an Anime dog mechanic for that genuine cutesy Japanese art experience.

The original Jaguar leather wallet is present, as are two sets of key (there’s a bill from Guildford Jaguar on 22/08/2018 for the latter). Other receipts for works carried out since its UK return are negligible, which suggests it hasn’t required much in the way of fettling.

It acquired a new battery on the 1st of March 2019 (£132.00) and two new tyres just under a year later (£300).

Please visit the documents section of the gallery of this listing where you will find photos of the paperwork to support our claim that this car has been maintained to an excellent standard.

Elegant, discreet and with a powerful stance there’s no doubt that this Super V8 is a very tempting proposition. We think it’ll sell for somewhere between £10,000 and £12,000, and that is one hell of a lot of car for the money.

Its Japanese market provenance ensures that, unlike some UK examples, you can have structural and cosmetic confidence in it. Hell, it even comes with some evidence of a Japanese service history – and believe us, that’s rare.

If you’re after a bit of bargain high-end, high-performance luxury motoring then this Super V8 could be the car for you. Purchase, waft, cruise and then devour other road users in a glorious burst of supercharged speed whenever the need arises.

Inspection is always encouraged (within Govt. guidelines of course), 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’.