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Daimler was formed in 1896 by Fredrick Simms,
he acquiring the patent rights to sell Gottlieb
Daimler’s 1 horsepower motorboat engines;
more importantly Simms was also able to retain
the Daimler name. The same year the Daimler Motor
Syndicate would enter into car production at
their newly established facility in Coventry,
soon after garnering Royal patronage when the
Prince of Wales (later Edward VII) was given
a ride in a Daimler by John Scott-Montagu,
Lord Montagu of Beaulieu.
In 1907 Daimler introduced
the now trademark fluted grille, then in 1908
it acquired the license to build the “Knight” sleeve
valve engines for its automobiles. During World
War 1 Daimler manufactured engines for the Little
and Big Willie, the worlds first ever tanks,
in addition to engines for scout vehicles, planes,
ambulances, trucks and double-decker buses!
In
1920 the company merged with AEC to form the
Associated Daimler Company to build commercial
vehicles. During World War 2 the company is best
known for its manufacture of the “Ferret”,
a stoic armored car that would do service in
over 136 countries around the world.
After the
war Daimler lost its way, creating too many models
and selling too few, in many respects becoming
the play thing of one Lady Norah Docker. Jaguar,
on the other hand, could barely keep up with
demand and, with Daimler ripe for the picking,
realized it would provide both an up-market division
and much needed extra production facilities.
In 1960 Jaguar would acquire Daimler, shortly
after arguably the prettiest and most highly
prized iteration coming to market, the wonderful
SP250 Dart. The halcyon days would be short lived,
with the rationalization of British automotive
manufacturers ensuring some would live on as
mere name plates.
Since that time, Daimlers have
simply been "badge engineered" versions
of current production Jaguar sedans, although
they were always fitted with the distinctive
fluted grill, upgraded upholstery, and woodwork – making
them the flagship of the marque.
The only truly
unique Daimler model to emerge between 1967 and
1992 was the DS420 Limousine. It is worth noting
that coachbuilders Vanden Plas were merged into
BMC, and then assigned to the Daimler group in
1966, a name used for the US market
instead of Daimler to ensure no confusion with
the German competition. |
