Daimler

Daimler has, since 1896, been the motor car marque of the British Daimler Motor Company, based in Coventry.

The company was a subsidiary of BSA from 1910 up until 1960, when it became part of Jaguar and the brand was used for their luxury models. It is now a subsidiary of the Premier Automotive Group, making it part of Ford.

As of 2006, its production is limited to only one model, the Daimler Super Eight.

The name Daimler is used by two completely separate groups of car manufacturers. The history of both companies can be traced back to the German engineer Gottlieb Daimler, who patented an engine design in the late 19th century, built (together with Wilhelm Maybach) the first motorcycle in 1885 and built the first 4-wheeled car in 1889. This was the origin of the Daimler Motoren Gesellschaft ("Daimler Motors Company") which built cars from the 1890s onwards and sold licenses of its designs and patents to others.

The licence granted to the Daimler Motor Company included the right to use the Daimler name in Great Britain. Gottlieb Daimler died in 1900, having sold licences to use the Daimler name in a number of countries. Emil Jellinek had legal problems selling German Daimlers in France and put it to Daimler Germany that he would put in a large order if they would make a car to order for him bearing his daughter's name. These cars proved enormously popular. Daimler Germany now realised the problem of having sold licences to use the Daimler name, and to avoid any further confusion and licensing troubles, the name Mercedes was adopted for all the cars built by Daimler Motoren Gesellschaft itself, in 1902, while the name Daimler was last used for a German built car in 1908.

• 1893 The UK patent rights to the Gottlieb Daimler's engine were purchased in 1893 by Frederick Simms, who formed a new company, the "Daimler Motor Syndicate".

• 1896 Simms and Harry Lawson moved into car production in the city of Coventry as the "Daimler Motor Company".

• 1907 The fluted radiator grille has been the Daimler marque's distinguishing feature. The company acquired a Knight Engine licence in 1908 to build sleeve valve engines for its automobiles.

• 1910 It was part of Birmingham's BSA group of companies, producing military vehicles as well as cars.

• 1914 In addition to cars, Daimler produced engines for the very first tanks ever built in 1914 ("Little Willie" and "Big Willie"), a scout army vehicle, engines used in aeroplanes, ambulances, trucks, and double-decker buses. In late 1920s, it, together with Associated Equipment Company, formed the Associated Daimler Company to build commercial vehicles.

• 1920 October. Exhibited at the Commercial Motor Exhibition at Olympia with with a tipping lorry of 2 tons.

• 1920 November. Exhibited at the Motor Car Show at Olympia and the White City with 30 and 45 hp cars. Four-speed gearboxes and worm final drive are used.

• 1930 Daimler, through BSA, took over Lanchester Motor Company, which had the distinction of having been the maker of Britain's first production car.

During World War II, Daimler production was geared to military vehicles. After that war, Daimler produced the Ferret armoured car, a military reconnaissance vehicle, which has been used by over 36 countries.

Daimler was a proponent of the preselector gearbox. This was used in passenger vehicles and military vehicles.

The first was the "Golden Daimler", an opulent touring limousine, in 1952, "Blue Clover, a two door sportsmans coupe, in 1953 the "Silver Flash" based on the 3 litre Regency chassis, and in 1954 "Stardust, redolent of the "Gold Car", but based on the DK400 chassis.

• 1951 Jack Sangster had sold Ariel and Triumph to BSA, and joined their board. The Docker Daimler era was soon to end. By 1956 Sangster was voted in as the new Chairman, defeating Sir Bernard 6 to 3, and he promptly made Edward Turner head of the automotive division. This then included Ariel, Triumph, and BSA motorcycles, as well as Daimler and Carbodies (London Taxicab manufacturers). Turner then designed the Daimler SP250 and Majestic Major, with lightweight hemi head Daimler 2.5 & 4.5 Litre V8 Engines. Under Sangster Daimler's vehicles became a little more performance oriented.

Daimler struggled after the War, producing too many models with short runs and limited production, and frequently selling too few of each model, while Jaguar seemed to know what the public wanted and expanded rapidly.

Buses

• 1908 Daimler had built a petrol-electric double-decker.
• 1911 Frank Searle of LGOC joined the company
• Daimler was the largest builder after AEC.
• The Y-type was replaced by the CC during the war and was built in quantity mainly for the military.
• Daimler pioneered pneumatic tyres on single-deckers, particularly charabancs.
• 1930 saw the arrival of the CG6 a modern chassis with wider track and lower frame.
• In 1932 the CP6 was changed and had a new poppet-valve 6.6 litre engine.
• In 1933 at The Commercial Vehicle Show Daimler produced the COG5, a diesel with Gardner 5LW seven-litre engine.
• In 1940 the factory was bombed so all building abruptly ceased.
• Over the next six years 300 diesel-engined chassis were produced.
• In December 1942 The Ministry of Supply found Daimler a factory and production continued with the CWG5.
• By 1943 100 had been built.
• Daimler then changed to produce CWA6 with an AEC engine. By 1945 630 had been completed.
• Daimler had been working on their own design of a 8.6 litre six-cylinder engine since 1936.
• All drawings and test records were burnt in the fire when the factory was bombed.
• In 1945 the first chassis with the new engine was built. After this time a Daimler-engined chassis were built together with AEC.
• 1951 A new single-decker design was launched called the Freeline which used a five-speed preselective gearbox.
• 1957 Manchester specified a narrower bonnet with seperate mounted headlights, this look was then deemed as standard.
• 1960 Daimler was sold to Jaguar.
• During the 1960's Daimler moved on their designs to rear-engined chassis.
• 1966 Jaguar merged with British Motor Corporation to become British Motor Holdings.
• 1968 the BMH merged with Leyland which formed British Leyland.
• 1969 Gardner 6LX was the standard unit with the 6LXB.
• 1,500 Daimler Fleetlines were built by Leyland.
• 1974 another name change Leyland Fleetline.
• By 1980 11,750 Fleetlines had been produced.

Sources of Information

• [1] Wikipedia
• The Engineer of 22nd October 1920 p400
• The Engineer of 19th November 1920 p498
• Ian Allan - British Buses Since 1900 - Aldridge and Morris