Daimler and Lanchester
History and Models
logo 1896 to the Present

 1961-1980
 

September 1961 saw a limousine version of the Majestic Major (DR450 Limousine) produced and this was to be the last all-Daimler car made. A de-luxe version of the Jaguar 420, called the Daimler Sovereign, was introduced (October 1966) and this sold reasonably well (5824) in the 3 year production run. The chassis was made for 26 years for specialised bodywork, including hearses and funeral cars. In 1969, the only remaining Daimler variant on a Jaguar model was the XJ6, with either 2.4 or 4.2 litre XK engines. In 1972, the V12 was introduced and the Daimler Double Six name reappeared. Trimmed by Vanden Plas, the Motor magazine declared it had better handling and high speed cruising ability than the Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow at twice the price. During the British Leyland Era, Jaguar and Daimler seemed to lose their identity until, in 1977, Sir Michael Edwards took over as executive chairman. Then, in 1980, John Egan took over as chief executive of Jaguar and was very supportive of the Daimler marque. By the end of the series 3 run, 23% of the Jaguar range were badged Daimler, or Jaguar Vanden Plas as it was known in the USA

Production runs for the various models
Series 1
Daimler Sovereign 2.8 3233
Daimler Sovereign 4.2 swb 11522
Daimler Sovereign lwb 754
Daimler Double Six swb 534
Daimler Double Six Vanden Plas 351
Daimler Sovereign Coupe 1677
Daimler Double Six Coupe 407


ds420
The late Queen Mothers Daimler Limousine with a Lion bonnet mascot
2.5v8
Daimler 250 V8 (1969)
major
4,561cc V8 Majestic Major. The fastest luxury car of its day capable of 120mph
series2
Jaguar/Daimler Series 2 production
Return to top