1953 Daimler DB18 Special Sports

Relisted due to yet another phantom bidder who made an offer that I accepted then immediately disappeared **from this point forward I will need to actually speak to a live person before I accept any offer, so contact me beforehand or the offer will be ignored**

Extremely rare 1953 Daimler DB18 Special Sports Drophead Coupe project for sale. Chassis No. 59190 Engine No. 30636. This is a true "barn find" which has been hidden away and off the road since the late 1980s. My hope was to eventually restore or possibly modify this extremely rare automobile, but lack of time for this project (due to other projects) forces me to pass it on to the next ambitious caretaker willing to take her on; I'd say it's a worthy endeavor considering there were only around 500 of these incredible cars ever produced.

Built for Daimler by in-house coachbuilder Barker and crafted from aluminum from the doors back, these seldom-seen examples of automotive artwork have incredible lines; the sleek, long stance along with the open top, massive grille and oversized headlights all work together to evoke true class and old money. A huge set of suicide doors open to reveal a spacious cockpit which featured two seats up front and a single sideways-facing seat in the rear. The engine is a 2.5 litre in-line six cylinder with twin carburettors which produced 85 bhp at 4200 rpm; Suspension is independent front wishbones and torsion bars, live rear axle with half elliptic leaf springs and brakes are four-wheel Girling hydro-mechanically operated drum. Originally coming in at nearly twice the cost of a comparable Jaguar XK120, these cars were obviously very expensive for the era.

Although the car was stored inside a barn and forgotten about for decades, it is unfortunately now in poor condition due to a major roof leak that had unknowingly been going on for years. Luckily the top bows all three seats had been stored in the attic of the old house on the property so all frames are good and solid on all of those. When I first acquired the car, I did remove (lift out) what was left of the floor and coat the cockpit chassis and trunk area with Por 15 rust preventative. I also had the original wheels sandblasted and powdercoated, then wrapped in a nice set of Coker 600-16 tires. The chassis does have rust issues but is repairable. Trunk floor is surprisingly still mostly all there and solid. There is rust through in the upper cowl and around the windscreen, as well as the front wings and bonnet along with several other places, see pics as they are part of the description. Headlight housings have rust through along the bottom and there are some workable dents in the fronts of the wings along with rust and pitting, bonnet also has rust along with seized hinges. Aluminum body panels have dents as well, see pics. If you're planning to restore this car, and this needs to be stressed, be ready for lots of wood replacement throughout. The engine is still present, as is the overdrive gearbox with all brass plates. Gearbox will still turn but condition of the engine is unknown - head is just sitting on the block - I'd say hope for the best but expect the worst. The twin carbs and exhaust manifolds are off but present. Original radiator is included and is in very good condition. I did include pics of some of the parts that go with the car but I do have more that are not shown including spare tire, generator, water pump, fan, exhaust manifolds, trim pieces, etc..

This would be a very ambitious restoration but could also be an invaluable source for spare parts, especially if you already own one of these cars; need a replacement door? Rear bonnet, quarter panel or rear spats? Nice set of top bows or seat frames? Good luck on ever finding any of those (probably impossible), but if you had this car sitting in the back of the garage you wouldn't need to go looking - this may be the only opportunity to ever acquire a Barker Special Sports parts car. Would also make an incredible rat rod and it would probably be the only one like it in the world. Please examine pics carefully before purchase or offer and additional pics are available upon request. I also welcome in-person inspections prior to purchase or making an offer. The car does roll and steer very easily and I do have a clear title to the car in my name.

Also published at eBay.com

Want to buy this car?