Intended for the carriage trade, as an executive express or as a hire car for those needing something larger than a five-seater saloon, the DR450 was produced in numbers close to those of the Majestic Major saloon on which it was based.
Design and specifications
The chassis was 24.0 in (609.6 mm) longer than for the Majestic Major and the necessarily flat glass of the three side-windows no longer could be let flow with the body-shape. The equally flat-windowed but bulbous Jaguar Mark X was released to the market the same year.[4] The 4,561 cc (278 cubic inch) hemi-head engine pushed the 2¼ tonnes of car and driver to 100 km/h in under 11 seconds, to 100 mph in 37 seconds and provided a top speed of 183 km/h (114 miles per hour),[2] rather better than the much shorter lighter 5-passenger Jaguar Mark X.
chassis: massive box-section and cross-braced frame, separate from the all-steel body
suspension
front: Girling type with semi-trailing wishbones and forward facing arms, coil springs, Girling telescopic dampers
rear: live axle, half-elliptic leaf springs, Girling telescopic dampers
brakes:Dunlop disc brakes vacuum-servo assisted
front: 12.5 in (317.5 mm)
rear: 12 in (304.8 mm)
wheels: 16 in (406.4 mm) pressed steel, 5 studs, rims—5.5 in (139.7 mm)
tyres: Dunlop RS5, 700-16 with tubes
steering: Hydrosteer power assisted
steering wheel diameter 18 in (457.2 mm)
steering column: adjustable for reach
headlamps two 50/40 watts and fog lamps
heating and ventilation are independently provided for rear and front compartments
seating, three on the front bench seat, three on the back seat and two on the folding occasional seats
folding occasional seats have received particular care in shaping for comfort and support. They fold away into their own footwells below the division when not required
rear doors open a full 90 degrees
seatbelts no provision
grease: ten points every 1,000 miles, seven points every 5,000 miles[2]
19 feet, 2.1 tonnes, 180 km/h and agile
Test
Autocar road testers said "Few cars possess the Jekyll and Hyde personality of the Daimler limousine in providing very high performance, comfort, safety and enormous carrying capacity . . . after enjoying the Daimler for its special merits of high performance and excellent handling, one feels even a little sympathy for chauffeurs who may rarely have the opportunity to discover for themselves the other side of the car's character."[2]
"It is always a challenge for the engineers to provide a good compromise of ride in a car of which the laden weight can conceivably vary by as much as 14 to 15 cwts 1,568 lb (711 kg) to 1,680 lb (762 kg). The Daimler limousine has achieved a very high standard in this respect".[2]
Performance
On test by Autocar average fuel consumption for the total distance of 1404 miles proved to be 14.7 miles per gallon or 19.2 L/100 km. The maximum speed of the car was a (mean) of 113.5 mph, 182.6 km/h and the best run 114 or 183.2 km/h.[2]
Price
October 1961 £3,995 including tax, Jaguar Mark X £2,393
Market sector 1966
There were only three English limousines in production in 1966. The Rolls-Royce Phantom V was available for approximately £10,700, the Daimler DR450 for £3,558 complete (or £1,899 for a bare chassis), and the Vanden Plas Austin Princess for around £3,100.[5]
References
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Daimler DR450.
^ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxAutocar Road Test 1907, Autocar, 4 January 1963, Iliffe, Sons & Sturmey, London 1963
^New Daimler limousine and Lagonda Rapide saloon. The Times, Wednesday, Sep 27, 1961; pg. 15; Issue 55197
^New Big Jaguar. The Times, Thursday, Oct 12, 1961; pg. 8; Issue 55210
^Smith, Brian E. (1972). "Chapter 13 The 4½–litre V–8 Majestic Major saloon (DQ 450/1) and the 4½–litre V–8 limousine (DR 450/1)". The Daimler Tradition. London, UK: Transport Bookman Publications. p. 300. ISBN0-85184-004-3.
