1956 Daimler Drophead Coupe - Only 46 known examples from 54 built!

1956 Daimler Drophead Coupe £32. 95 (Special e-bay price. nbsp;was £35. 95)

A unique opportunity to acquire a very rare and beautiful drophead British Classic. A car of distinction with elegant sweeping bodylines and undoubtedly the most striking design ever produced by the Company. It also features the pre-selector gearbox - a Daimler speciality (see footnote).

Launched as “The New Daimler Drophead Coupe” with the slogans “100 MPH and all this greater comfort” and “Power in a Velvet Glove“. They were all handbuilt and consequently so expensive that only 54 were built between 1955 and 1957 of which 46 have been traced worldwide by the DLOC. They were built specifically for the rich and famous. Jags and Mercs were ‘ten a penny' compared to these exclusive Daimlers.

It has an unusual transverse sideways-facing single rear seat. making the car a 3-seater with wind-up side windows (earlier roadsters had clip-on ones). This exquisite example has undergone a full professional bare-metal body restoration to the highest standard and evidently had very little use since. the underside still looks like new.

Superb coachwork in original Daimler Larkspur Blue. The chrome is in good condition condition as is the toning blue leather interior and matching carpets. The matching hood also looks newish. There is a Hoodbag and Tonneau cover. The car is in excellent condition mechanically. This matching-numbers vehicle represents a very good investment opportunity as future values can only increase substantially.

Offered with original hand tools. copy Owner's manual. Historic Tax. V5 logbook.

The Daimler & Lanchester Owner's Club (DLOC) has been approached to delve further into their records for more information on this car. At present the previous history is a bit sketchy. All that is known about the car is that it was supplied new on 28th November 1956 by Daimler Agents A. C. Bulip & Son Ltd. Newton Abbot. (phone 575) according to a Dealer Plate on the dashboard. From another dashboard placque it apparently attended the DLOC Northern Area Rally at Harewood House in 1974. In April 1982 it was acquired by the Reverend Donald Hilton Taylor of Keighly who amassed a small collection of rare and unusual cars by the time he retired from the position of Master of Divinities at Bradford Grammar School. According to DLOC archives by 2011 it was the property of William Hutton of Leeds. At some point thereafter it was acquired by a wealthy Italian Enthusiast and formed part of his Classic Car Collection. It was repatriated to UK in May 2013.

More information has now surfaced about this car from the Grandson of the supplying Dealer A. C. Bulip & Son of Newton Abbot. He writes as follows:-

Just a few lines regarding the early history of the car which was well known down here in South Devon. My family where Daimler Dealers at Newton Abbot in the fifties and we supplied Leopold Roosevelt Weaver. a local builder with his cars. He never drove over 50 mph. whether on the way to a pub or on the way back.

He was a bachelor so two seats was always his choice. Prior to the Daimler we supplied him with a new XK120 Roadster (PTT 30K) which is well known at shows in West Country and is still on the original number plates. made up by me age 17. as were the Daimler plates.

Leo was one of five builder brothers from Aberhileny who featured on the chocolate bars “Five Boys” for many years. I subsequently married his Niece. not before supplying him with other lovely cars including a white E type FHC DDV939C(?)

I can also confirm that when he put the car in part-exchange for an early E type Roadster 100PTA we sold it to Col. “Rasher Bacon” a very high-ranking Police Officer at Scotland Yard – a real old school one!

The car was a familiar sight in Torquay for many years – truly a car once seen never forgotten. Just hope it gets a loving home.

A. C. Ian. Bulpin.

Gearbox - A preselector or self-changing gearbox is a type of manual gearbox used on a variety of vehicles. most commonly in the 1930s. The defining characteristic of a preselector gearbox is that the manual shift lever is used to "pre-select" the next gear to be used. then a separate control (a foot pedal) is used to engage this in one single operation. without needing to work a manual clutch.

Most pre-selector transmissions avoid a driver-controlled clutch entirely. some use one solely for starting off.

Preselector gearboxes are not automatic gearboxes. although they may have internal similarities. A fully automatic gearbox is able to select the ratio used. with a preselector gearbox this remains the driver's decision.