1952 Daimler 2½ Litre 'Empress' Hooper [DB18]
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![1952 Daimler 2½ Litre 'Empress' Hooper [DB18]](/i020584.jpg)
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Comments about this vehicle
| Author | Message |
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◊ 2006-02-02 12:26 |
Daimler. |
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◊ 2006-02-02 17:29 |
Empress I think. -- Last edit: 2006-02-02 17:30:46 |
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◊ 2006-02-02 17:47 |
Coachwork by Hooper ca 1950 |
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◊ 2021-05-21 21:17 |
If this is really [DF308] code and an Empress, it's Mk.III, Oct 54 onwards. Earlier Empress - Mk.I, Mk.II and Mk.IIA (which was a slightly more powerful Mk.II, not a successor) - had different codes [DF304, & 305 with LHD] and [DF306, & 307 with LHD], but I've no idea how they worked, and they also included some Regency versions in the codes. I've also no idea how to split the various Marks of Empress, although it seems very few were made before Mk.III. |
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◊ 2023-05-28 13:51 |
1950 - 52 Daimler 2 1/2 litre (DB18). One of only 97 of this "Special Series" chassis to carry the Hooper & Co. Empress coachwork. Many variants are extremely difficult to identify, as the differences are with the chassis/mechanics, and not external features. As an aside, only 14 Empress III constructed. -- Last edit: 2023-05-28 13:53:01 |
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◊ 2023-05-28 14:44 |
This is not a Special Sports, though the two models share the same chassis. Could it be 7045 AT 75? -- Last edit: 2023-05-28 14:46:20 |
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◊ 2023-05-28 15:20 |
I'm confused now. I've picked up the reference to only 97 of this variant having Hooper Empress, but the text in that book implies it's the Special Sports version, not Special Series which is not mentioned. But I can see a logic that Special Sports makes better sense for the Barker DHC, as the others in our collection. I guess my book (The Daimler Tradition) is one you use, but while I can read it, I don't have the context to interpret it solidly. So if not Special Sports, what is best - maybe indeed our French friend is a good match?? And what is a Special Series?? |
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◊ 2023-05-28 17:33 |
A minefield. The 2 1/2 litre "DB"-chassis cars were designated 18-1 (sometimes written 18/1), 18-2 (sometimes found written as 18/2), & 18. The latter, 18, designation was used as the underpinning for the "Consort" saloon from 1949 - 1953. It was also used in "Special Series" guise for 608 chassis. Approximately 500 of those chassis were Special Sports and bodied by Barker & Co., between 1948 and 1952. A further six were bodied by Hooper & Co. Then we have the 97 that were bodied by Hooper & Co. as Empresses, between 1950 and 1952. The remainder of the chassis were mostly 'one offs', such as 53,790 built for Lady Docker. It has to be borne in mind that when Brian wrote The Daimler Tradition, we were in different times, and the original Co. information was (is) not consistent. For example, the Special Sports was also marketed as the Sports Special! The 608 chassis may well have been referred to by Brian as Special Sports chassis, but they are still special series. Further, although you are quite correct in saying that the 2 1/2 litre Special Sports is a DHC, whether bodied by Barker or indeed Hooper, the DB-chassis cars marketed by the Daimler Co. as a DHC were completely different, and on the DB18-1 chassis pre-war, and the DB18-2 chassis thereafter. ** Having just dug out my copy of The Daimler Tradition to check the chassis number I quoted above, Brian refers to the 'special series' chassis on p.144. -- Last edit: 2023-05-28 17:40:38 |
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◊ 2023-05-28 18:11 |
OK - have taken the French option as the most straightforward escape route. |
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◊ 2023-05-28 20:16 |
The Bentley records do seem to be better populated, but I make the assumption that Daimler’s would have built many more vehicles over the years, and also that the attrition rate on the Daimler would have been greater as a proportion of the total. Did the late Bernard L King do any work on Daimler? He appears to have been conscientious on the R-R & B cars upon which I have been able to double check his work. -- Last edit: 2023-05-28 20:29:28 |
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◊ 2023-05-29 09:16 |
Bernard L. King: Not that I am aware of. Just about all pre-war Daimler build records were lost in the Coventry blitz. Post-war, some records survive with J(D)HT. I think one of two volumes of the SP250 sports cars build records survives also. Sadly, Jaguar had little or no interest in the Daimler marque, save for obtaining factory space. As a company, Daimler did have some 'odd' ways as regards model and chassis identification. Blocks of chassis numbers were not issued in order, meaning a later model can have earlier chassis numbers than the model it superseded! Further, as already mentioned, they sold models under more than one name on occasion. In the 'world of Daimler preservation', we are very lucky to have Brian Smith, who has now been researching the Co. for approaching sixty years. Brian still drives a Daimler, and is still busy writing. His last tome was an extremely limited print run, and was gifted by Brian to friends. I treasure my copy. |
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◊ 2023-05-29 14:09 |
BLK drove, for some time, a Hooper bodied Bentley R-type B14XF, with the “Empress-style” coachwork to design #8294. It occurred to me that this might have been consequent upon an earlier interest in Daimler. King’s car had originally been supplied new as one of 4 similar R-types to members of the Waddilove family in August 1954. -- Last edit: 2023-05-29 14:10:00 |
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◊ 2023-05-29 17:58 |
Gordon's car. HVH731. BN10020. The car has left these shores, I believe? |
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◊ 2023-05-29 18:21 |
Those belonging to Cyril, Stanley and George originally certainly are in USA or Canada, the location of BLK’s car I do not know. Cyril’s car was OXT 1, the others followed as HVH731/2/3. -- Last edit: 2023-05-29 18:32:06 |
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◊ 2023-05-29 18:24 |
Except that the car is right hand drive. |
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◊ 2023-05-29 18:35 |
So are its other sightings. Its story is unknown, but it's a regular in French films 1960-66. |
