Welcome to Rare Rides Icons, a spinoff of Rare Rides where we take a more in-depth look at those particularly interesting cars throughout history. Today’s large and luxurious Icon is the first time we present a Daimler in this series. The DS420 was the flagship of the brand; a car for heads of state. And in fact over 50 years after its introduction, it’s still in use as an official state limousine in several nations.
Daimler was founded in 1896 in Coventry, England by one H. J. Lawson. Lawson purchased the rights to use the Daimler name on his automobiles from Gottleib Daimler, of Daimler-Maybach fame. The company had immediate financial trouble and was bankrupt by 1904. In 1910 the brand was purchased by Birmingham Small Arms Company, a large British conglomerate. Daimler quickly made a name for itself producing luxury cars of high quality and was awarded a Royal Warrant in 1902 to provide vehicles directly to the British monarchy. It would hold royal favor until the Fifties, when it was replaced by that new money brand, Rolls-Royce.
Fast forward to just after WWII, and Daimler established its DE range. DE was a flagship chassis was used for its most expensive cars. They were the sort of phaetons and large sedans supplied to heads of state. The Twenty-seven was the standard chassis with inline-six power, sold alongside the Thirty-six long-wheelbase model powered by a 5.4-liter straight-eight. For the most part, Daimler supplied its luxury chassis to various coachbuilders, who put bodies on top as specified by an exclusive clientele. Daimler also had its own subsidiary, Hooper, which built DEs as well.
The DE series cars ran from 1946 through 1953 when they were replaced by the Regina, a sedan eventually renamed to DK400. The DK400 had less coachbuilder interest and was generally built as a limousine by Carbodies, the company that produced London taxis. Again Daimler’s flagship was used by royalty and was delivered to places like Afghanistan, for its king. The Regina/DK400 was produced through 1960, a point just past the change in Daimler ownership: Birmingham Small Arms ceded Daimler to Jaguar in 1960. Head of Jaguar William Lyons wanted to make more cars and saw an opportunity in Daimler’s underutilized manufacturing facilities.
The DK400’s replacement, DR450, was significant in two ways: It was the last-ever car fully designed by Daimler and was not – like its predecessors – on its own chassis. In fact, the DR450 was a development of Daimler’s Majestic Major, itself a more powerful trim of the standard Majestic large sedan. Meant more as a hired car than a royal limousine, the eight-passenger DR450 was produced in much greater volume than its DK400 predecessor. While the DK saw just 93 examples produced in its ’54 to ’59 run, 864 examples of the DR450 were made between 1961 and 1968. Such vulgar numbers!
There was also a problem, in that this lesser Daimler DR450 was released the very same year as its new owner’s flagship sedan, the Jaguar Mark X. While the Mark X was not a limousine, the DR450 and Majestic Major were making things a bit crowded for Jaguar. Ultimately, the situation was a lose-lose for Daimler. Jaguar was taken over by British Motor Corporation (BMC) in 1966 (quickly renamed to BMH, and then British Leyland). Both companies under the BL umbrella, Jaguar was placed in charge of Daimler design. From there on out, every Daimler would be mostly Jaguar underneath. Enter DS420.
When it debuted in 1968, the DS420 (sometimes known as Limousine) was a replacement for both the DR450 and the Vanden Plas Princess limousine. Sensibly, a consolidation effort by that giant British Leyland. Engineered by Jaguar, the DS420 used a floorplan, engine, transmission, and suspension from the 420G (a new name the Mark X wore since 1966). The body wore sloped Daimler styling, with the brand’s typical fluted grille. The overall look was upright and imposing, as intended.
DS420 rode on a 141-inch wheelbase and had an impressive overall length of 226 inches. Comparative figures for the 420G were 120 and 202 inches, respectively. Power arrived from the 4.2-liter Jaguar inline-six, paired to one of three different three-speed automatics. There were two different versions supplied by BorgWarner, as well as the reliable and heavy-duty GM TH400. DS420s were initially built at the Vanden Plas factory.
At the front of the Limousine, a driver was positioned on a fixed bench seat with but one adjustment in front of him: 2.75 inches of telescope for the large steering wheel. Designed as a chauffeured vehicle for various dignitaries, the DS420 concentrated on its rear passengers. Up to six royals sat behind the partition with a sliding window. The main rear bench seat was over six feet wide and held three passengers. Folding jump seats held the other three, who sat facing forward with their knees against the center partition.
Beyond the standard limousine configuration, the staff at Vanden Plas would add as many layers of luxury trim and equipment as a customer deemed necessary. DS420 was available in a more basic configuration with manual windows, or in more executive spec with a complete mobile boardroom at the rear. The former examples were most often purchased by funeral and limousine companies and used for livery work, while the well-equipped cars went to captains of industry or royals. Worth noting, there were two factory landaulet DS420s produced, but those special examples have been lost to time.
Though Daimler lost their Royal Warrant long before, the DS420 made considerable inroads with other royalty around the world. Many of them had held onto their DE Thirty-six cars and replaced them with the DS420, a car which was coincidentally launched the very same time as the Rolls-Royce Phantom VI (1968-1990). The King of Denmark, Prince of Monaco, and Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother were all devotees of the DS420. The list goes on and includes the royals of Brunei, Malaysia, Oman, Luxembourg, and Jordan. Queen Elizabeth II joined the crowd in 1984 when she ordered the first of several DS420s, that one to transport Prince Charles and his new wife Diana.
Through three decades, there were just a couple of changes to this most traditional limousine. A facelift in 1972 switched up the passenger partition design, grille, and badge placement. There was another update in 1979 when Vanden Plas ceded DS420 manufacture to Jaguar. Suitably for that year, larger bumpers were added. There was one more update in 1987 when bumpers got plastic coating, and some minor interior changes arrived. Known technically as Mark IV, this last DS420 was produced through 1992.
Jaguar and Daimler stretched the DS420 as long as they could. The 1940s XK engine wasn’t compliant with modern emissions requirements, and the old chassis wouldn’t do too well in Nineties crash testing either. That last production day meant an end to more than just the DS420. It was the last coach-built Daimler limousine, the last of the XK inline-six, and indeed the last unique Daimler car, as the brand’s other offerings had become trims on a Jaguar by 1969.
The DS420 lives on as an icon of royal transport and is still in use in Denmark, Luxembourg, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. Unsurprisingly they were never sold in North America, so you’d probably only see one on the news.
[Images: Daimler]
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I always thought this was the car used in the intro of the TV series “The Prisoner” with Patrick McGoohan. I was mistaken. The car was appropriately a hearse–the Vanden Plas Princess. (Incidentally Patrick McGoohan was asked to play James Bond in the film series–instead he recommended his fellow actor Sean Connery and the rest is history.)
Correct regarding McGoohan. He had originally trained to be a Catholic Priest and when he became an actor he kept to a strict code regarding ‘sexual imaging’. In his shows/appearances you will rarely if ever see him even kissing. He turned down playing Bond because of Bond’s sexual activities/promiscuities. McGoohan also turned down the role of Gandalf, as did Connery. As good as Sir Ian McKellan was in that role, I still believe that Connery could have been ‘better’.
@Corey:
This series of cars needs a slideshow set to this music:
youtube.com/watch?v=EQ9ftKMWTW4
(BTW, not only is “The Crown” a great show, it’s great Brit-car porn, featuring these cars, and a ton of others.)
That show’s on my list of eventual watches!
Even when new, these things were a rolling anachronism, like the Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud, and the Austin Princess.
“Queen Elizabeth II joined the crowd in 1984 when she ordered the first of several DS420s, that one to transport Prince Charles and his new wife Diana.”
Ironically, the DS420 was also Diana’s last car to ride in as it was the hearse that took her to her funeral :(
As a side point, when I was young, I lived in Kingsbury London NW9, very near the Vanden Plas factory where these were coachbuilt and got to see many of the variants being tested and then delivered. Not so glamourously, I also saw the VP Austin Allegros leaving! :)
Allegro! A high water mark in Motorcars of Grand Brittania.
In the 1980’s while wandering around the area surrounding Windsor Castle, one of these stopped beside us, with the Queen Mother in the back seat. As she was in the car, her flag/pennant was on small poles on both front fenders.
Oh yes! Most often know as the “All agro” because of its woeful build quality! But never forget, the Vanden Plas Allegros had REAL wood picnic tables in the rear, something to be justifiably proud of…:)
They should have been removable, so you could use them outside while you were waiting for a tow.
The techie in me has to know some details about the Smithsonian-era computer setup in the back:
1. Can I play “The Oregon Trail” in the most comfortable settings, surrounded by plush carpeting and glove-soft leather?
2. Will the 8-pin dot matrix printer let me print out my works of art created in Dazzle Draw?
If so, you’ve got a buyer right here.
You could if you hadn’t already died of dysentery.
This one claims a production date of September 1994, though that may simply be the date when it was first registered in Japan:
https://www.goo-net-exchange.com/usedcars/DAIMLER/DAIMLER_OTHER/700957066030200222001/index.html
A wonderfully well written piece. More please!
I plan to do some more Icon pieces.
Mustang
928
Grand Cherokee perhaps
Chrysler minivan
911
Camry
From:
tinyurl.com/3fj65sbf
Until:
mlive.com/flintjournal/business/2008/08/saying_goodbye_flint_engine_no.html
What! No Austin Rover cars??!!
Who could forget the wonderful 80s Sterlings? (Rover 800 to those who don’t remember them).
Seriously, can’t wait for the next Icon! Great writing!
The Sterling commercial with Patrick MacNee was probably better than the auto was.
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=304854140694358
Corey how about the Imperial? At one time before it was the Chrysler Imperial it was one of the most luxurious cars in the World and was hand built. Jay Leno has a few of them. Leno’s 58 Imperial is a real beauty.
@ Jeff S Sir, hear, hear my good man. An American company showing that at world-level it had no superiors. Peers, yes; superiors, no.
A qualifier surely!
Yes an article on the Chrysler Imperial Parade Phaetons, and also perhaps on the Dual Ghia.
Corey, just make a list of what Frank Sinatra drove. Highlight the best, should keep you busy for a few months.
So it is the Western version of ZIL and Red Flag.
What old blue eyes drove would make an interesting story in itself. The story about how Iacocca convinced Sinatra, a personal friend of his to put his name on a special Sinatra edition of the sixth generation of Imperials 1981 thru 83.
Or a nice ’85 Chrysler leBaron as “owned” by Sinatra, for sale in Blighty right now!
https://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C1195550
I’m sure the Chairman drove that wagon every day.
“The car is rumoured to be the last vehicle Sinatra owned, and offers a fascinating insight into the cost of fame; Frank reportedly spent the last ten years of his life being driven around Palm Springs in this undistinguished (and unexpectedly domestic) ‘Town & Country’ turbo charged, two-tone ‘Woody’ estate car, to avoid recognition.”
And we all so believe every word! :))
Don’t believe that ad copy at all. Gushing claims framed by “rumored” and “reportedly.” Don’t come to him if you pay too much and find out it’s not true.
@Corey
What about John Voight’s LeBaron?
He bit me!
Sadly our classic car market in UK is full of carp like this! Buyer beware is the mantra in most used and classic car dealings here I’m afraid.
Corey et al, please stop me:
https://pittsburgh.craigslist.org/cto/d/verona-rare-1986-mercedes-benz-560-sel/7392646405.html
CLASSIC LUXURY
That’s a lot of car for that money. There seems to be a bit too much interior wear for that mileage though. Also the rear bumper is sagging.
You’re not helping.
Nice cars, I have a 1990 model. Most were sold to funeral directors in the UK and were very bare bones – no AC, manual windows and locks, no radio. Mine is fully optioned and that nearly doubled the base price. It wasn’t the fastest car around, I’m in the process of changing that by putting in a Jaguar supercharged XJR6 engine.