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99-601: The force consisted of: Initially, two of the Guy armoured cars in each troop had their guns removed and additional seats installed to carry members of the Royal Family. These were replaced by four specially built Daimler armoured limousines. Several country houses in remote locations, reportedly including Newby Hall , North Yorkshire; Pitchford Hall , Shropshire; Madresfield Court ( Earl Beauchamp 's home in Worcestershire); and

198-594: A Rolls-Royce Phantom VI , the DS420's wheelbase was 4 inches (10 cm) shorter, its body 12 inches (30 cm) shorter, it was approximately 350 kilograms (770 lb) lighter, and its engine had only about two-thirds the displacement of the Rolls-Royce V8 . As such, the Daimler was less expensive than a Rolls-Royce, less than half the price of a standard long-wheelbase (Silver Wraith) Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow . Originally,

297-502: A Royal Warrant as "Motor Car Manufacturer to the Court of Prussia" by Kaiser Wilhelm II . Stratton also sold Daimlers to the Sultan of Johor . In 1911, he spent some weekends at Sandringham tutoring the new Prince of Wales on the workings and driving of an automobile. Stratton went into partnership with Daimler's commercial manager Ernest Instone in 1921. Stratton and Instone took charge of

396-416: A royal warrant as suppliers of motor cars. Undecimus Stratton met E. G. Jenkinson, the chairman of Daimler, in 1903 when Jenkinson's Daimler was stranded by the roadside. Upon seeing the stranded motorist, Stratton stopped his Daimler and offered assistance. Jenkinson was impressed by Stratton and by his motoring knowledge. At the time, Jenkinson was looking to replace the head of Daimler's London depot,

495-508: A 1-ton delivery van, lorries from 2 to 5 ton and a 40 hp omnibus. Buses and trucks were able to use the same chassis and engines and, as was common practice for commercial vehicles, then have bespoke bodywork fitted. The Metropolitan Electric Tramways ordering 350 double-decker buses in 1912 and engines were sold to the London General Omnibus Company (LGOC). The bus models were the 13 foot wheelbase CB (same chassis as

594-512: A Daimler Limousine in 1970. It was painted in the colour "Sand" and served various duties, including bringing King Abdullah II to school when he was young. The Limousine today is on display at the Royal Automobile Museum at Amman. Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg ordered a Daimler DS420 in 1970, as his new state car, taking delivery in 1971. The Limousine was painted "Westminster Blue" and served him until 1988, when he replaced it with

693-643: A digest of Debrett ;" the Bombay agent supplied Indian princes ; the Japanese agent, Okura , handled sales in Manchuria and Korea . During World War I, the military took the normal production cars, lorries, buses and ambulances together with a scout army vehicle and engines used in ambulances, trucks, and double-decker buses. Special products included aero-engines and complete aircraft, tank and tractor engines and munitions. The first aircraft engine manufactured by Daimler

792-585: A director of DMG, proposed a union between the Daimler Motor Company in Coventry and DMG in Cannstatt in mid-1900 but the reorganised company was not interested in the merger and turned the offer down. Persistent financial troubles caused Daimler to be reorganised again in 1904. The previous company was wound up and a new company was formed to acquire the old one and pay its debts and winding-up costs. Under

891-610: A fourth, unnamed house (possibly Bevere Manor, Worcestershire) were designated as refuges. Madresfield Court reportedly replaced Croome Court , Worcester (the home of the Earl of Coventry ), in 1940. It was also a safe house for King George III in the late eighteenth century, in the event of an invasion by Napoleon . Should invading German forces have reached the Midlands , the Royal Family would have been taken to Liverpool and evacuated by sea to Canada . Hatley Castle on Vancouver Island

990-399: A model—reportedly produced in 1984 for the use of Jaguar boss John Egan —that was outfitted as a mobile boardroom, complete with a TV, computer, printer, and cocktail cabinet. The DS420 had an extensive list of additional options. Private owners tended to fully option their cars, while the service industry, including the funeral trade and limousine companies, tended to want few options. Until

1089-590: A motor car factory, On 7 June 1895, Simms told the board of the Daimler Motor Syndicate that he intended to form The Daimler Motor Company Limited to acquire the British rights to the Daimler patents and to manufacture Daimler engines and cars in England. That month, he arranged for the syndicate to receive a ten per cent (10%) commission on all British sales of Daimler-powered Panhard & Levassor cars. At

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1188-561: A new DS420 in the same colour. In January 1972, Sultan Qaboos of Oman took delivery two cars of identical configuration, in black paint and with black leather in the front compartment and fawn West-of-England cloth in the rear compartment. In 1977, King Yahya Petra of Malaysia took delivery of a Daimler Limousine in the second half of 1977. He was followed by Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei who had his 1981 Limousine based and registered in England where he has several retreats. In 1984, there were eight orders by reigning monarchs,

1287-447: A particularly sensitive position because of the royal cars. Taking the position, Stratton soon found himself having to select better royal chauffeurs and mechanics. He quickly became an occasional motoring companion to the King . In 1908, through Stratton's Royal connections, Daimler was awarded a " Royal Appointment as suppliers of motor cars to the Court of Spain" by King Alfonso XIII and

1386-461: A persistent transmission failure on the King's car, Rolls-Royce was commissioned to provide official state cars and as Daimlers retired they were not replaced by Daimlers. The current official state car is either one of a pair which were specially made for the purpose by Bentley , unofficial chauffeured transport is by Daimler. Elizabeth II's own car for personal use was a 2008 Daimler Super Eight but she

1485-612: A single model under the Daimler marque. Most of the engineering of the DS420 would be carried out by Jaguar, the new model to share parts such as the engine, gearbox, and suspension with the Jaguar 420G . Production of the DS420 was announced in June 1968, with the cars being built at the Vanden Plas works in Kingsbury . The short designation DS420 was in accordance with earlier Daimler designations where

1584-576: A week and producing Léon Bollée cars under licence. Lawson claimed to have made 20 cars by July 1897 making the Daimler Britain's first motor car to go into serial production, an honour that is also credited to Humber Motors who had also displayed, but in their case their production models, at the Stanley Cycle Show in London in 1896. The Daimlers had a twin-cylinder, 1526 cc engine, mounted at

1683-681: A welcome occasion for the rejuvenation of her fleet of cars. The two Vanden Plas Princess Limousines were discontinued, as was the Rolls-Royce Phantom IV Landaulet. Both manufacturers were allowed to deliver a new model to the Royal Mews—Rolls-Royce delivered a Phantom VI with standard limousine body, and Daimler a DS420 Limousine with the facelift introduced the same year. The 1987 Daimler Limousine (chassis nr. 200970) served TRH Prince Charles, Diana Princess of Wales and their sons Prince William and Prince Harry , for whom

1782-561: Is a limousine made by the Daimler Company between 1968 and 1992. The car was designed for official use and it was popular with chauffeur services, hoteliers and undertakers. It was used as an official state car in many countries. No other limousine model has been delivered to more reigning monarchs than the DS420, and the car is still used by the royal houses of the United Kingdom, Sweden, Denmark, and Luxembourg. The Daimler Company

1881-642: Is a favorite among reigning monarchs, including King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand, King Mohammed Zahir of Afghanistan, Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia, Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands and Prince Rainier of Monaco. William Lyons launched the Daimler DS420 in the same year as the Rolls-Royce Phantom VI . The new Daimler was to re-establish Daimler supremacy with royal courts, starting with King Frederik IX of Denmark , who would experience

1980-735: Is now the car for the daily duties of the Queen, despite its age. The Daimler even sometimes replaces the Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith as the state car. The 1986 model with Registration Crown 2 that had served the Crown Prince and his wife on several occasions since 2004 is since 2011 exclusively used by them. A final change worth mentioning in this context took place in Luxembourg in 2000 when Grand Duke Jean abdicated and his son became Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg . The Daimler Limousine remained as

2079-469: Is still in service, but for lesser official engagements the Swedish King makes use of modern saloons. In Luxembourg, as well, the revised design prompted a new order. In September 1988, Grand Duke Jean replaced his 1971 Daimler Limousine with another in "Westminster Blue" (chassis nr. 201168). By this time, Queen Elizabeth II had already been supplied her third DS420 Limousine (chassis nr. 201127), which

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2178-573: The Daimler Motor Company Limited , was an independent British motor vehicle manufacturer founded in London by H. J. Lawson in 1896, which set up its manufacturing base in Coventry . The company bought the right to the use of the Daimler name simultaneously from Gottlieb Daimler and Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft of Cannstatt , Germany. After early financial difficulty and a reorganisation of

2277-538: The Daimler-Knight engine which it further developed in the early twentieth century and used from 1909 to 1935, the worm gear final drive fitted from 1909 until after the Second World War, and their patented fluid flywheel used in conjunction with a Wilson preselector gearbox from 1930 to the mid-1950s. Daimler tried to widen its appeal in the 1950s with a line of smaller cars at one end and opulent show cars at

2376-485: The InterContinental Hong Kong ) had, over the years, no less than 22 in service for its guests. Daimler has delivered automobiles to all five monarchs of the United Kingdom since 1901. Prince Philip opened the door to Rolls-Royce with an order for a private car, a Rolls-Royce Phantom IV , which was delivered in 1950 and became part of the official fleet in 1952 when Princess Elizabeth became Queen. Daimler

2475-489: The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders – founded by Simms – since 1907. However the merger was not a great success. By 1913 Daimler had a workforce of 5,000 workers which made only 1,000 vehicles a year. In 1911 Daimler had plans to create The Premier Motor Omnibus Company (running Daimler buses) and appoint Frank Searle (ex London General Omnibus Company ) as the managing director. However plans had to be scrapped at

2574-471: The 1909 Dewar Trophy . Sales outran the works' ability to supply. Daimler's sleeve valve engines idle silently but they left a slight haze of oil smoke trailing behind them. These engines consumed oil at a rate of up to an Imperial gallon every 450  miles, oil being needed to lubricate the sleeves particularly when cold. However, by the standards of their day they required very little maintenance. Daimler kept their silent sleeve-valve engines until

2673-507: The 1950s and the chassis from the 1960s were the limiting factors, but not a lack of desire on the part of royalty. Both the two 1992 models and the 1988 model are still serving Queen Elizabeth as semi-state cars and were used at the weddings of Prince Edward, Prince William, Prince Harry, and Princess Eugenie. Queen Margrethe II of Denmark would have liked one DS420 as well, but where to get one after end of production, when monarchs are not customers on

2772-401: The 1968–1992 Daimler DS420 limousine, which had no Jaguar equivalent despite being fully Jaguar-based. When Jaguar Cars was split off from British Leyland in 1984, it retained the Daimler company and brand. Ford bought Jaguar Cars in 1990 and under Ford it stopped using the Daimler marque in 2009 when the last X358 Daimler models were discontinued. The X351 Jaguar XJ took its place and there

2871-587: The 36 hp tractor launched at the June 1911 Norwich Agricultural Show, and its larger 105 hp version, the Foster-Daimler tractor (a joint project with William Foster & Co. ) following in January 1912 (mainly destined for the South American market). Both used Daimler sleeve-valve engines, the larger 6-cylinder tractor having a small BSA starter engine. In January 1912, new commercial vehicles included

2970-431: The 4 ton truck) and the 12 foot wheelbase CC, both with 40 hp engines. With the onset of WW1 CC chassis production was stopped and CB production was ramped up for trucks for the military. A half-ton delivery van was based on a 12 hp chassis similar to a car chassis. The railcar project utilised 2 of the large six-cylinder engines. Daimler had created a railcar in 1904, and though it went into service briefly it

3069-587: The DS420, such as Prince William in August 1999 or Princess Anne leaving Easter Service at Windsor Chapel in 2016. With orders from no less than ten reigning monarchs, the Daimler DS420 not just side-lined the Rolls-Royce Phantom VI which could only boast orders from the King of Thailand and the Sultan of Brunei, but all other models produced in automobile history. If any model can claim the appellation of "Royal", it

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3168-591: The Daimler patents. That month, Daimler Motoren Gesellschaft lent Simms a motorboat with a 2 hp engine and an extra engine. In June 1891 Simms had set up a London office at 49 Leadenhall Street and founded Simms & Co consulting engineers. In May 1892, the motorboat, which Simms had named Cannstatt , began running on the River Thames from Putney . After demonstrating a motor launch to The Honourable Evelyn Ellis , Simms's motor launch business grew rapidly, but became endangered when solicitor Alfred Hendriks

3267-503: The Daimler showrooms at 27 Pall Mall, naming the business Stratton-Instone. Stratton died in July 1929 after a brief illness. His successors and Instone bought out Daimler's interest in 1930 and renamed the business Stratstone Limited. The following summer the future King Edward VIII rented Stratton's house at Sunningdale from his widow. Every British monarch from Edward VII to Elizabeth II has been driven in Daimler limousines. In 1950, after

3366-1030: The Monarch worldwide, as well as diplomatic missions in London, including governors of Hong Kong, the High Commissioner of New Zealand, the Governor of Tasmania, and the Governor of Guernsey. A Daimler Limousine still serves the Lieutenant Governor of Jersey. Diplomatic missions that have used the DS420 include Jordan, Oman, Portugal, and Spain. The DS420 was also the choice of other governments who were looking for an appropriate car to transport dignitaries during state visits or for use by their own officials on formal occasions, such governments including those of Australia and New Zealand. The vehicles were also used by hotels that provided them to their guests for transportation. The Regent Hotel in Hong Kong (today known as

3465-541: The Prince of Wales, later Edward VII , was given a ride on a Daimler by John Douglas-Scott-Montagu later known as Lord Montagu of Beaulieu. Scott-Montagu, as a member of parliament, also drove a Daimler into the yard of the Palace of Westminster , the first motorised vehicle to be driven there. Daimler had sold the Prince of Wales a mail phaeton in early 1900. In 1902, upon buying another Daimler, King Edward VII awarded Daimler

3564-694: The Thames where the Thames Electric and Steam Launch Company, owned by Andrew Pears of Pears Soap fame, had been making electrically powered motor launches, were purchased to be used to service Daimler-powered motor launches. Investor Harry John Lawson had set out to use the British Motor Syndicate to monopolise motor car production in Britain by taking over every patent he could. As part of this goal, Lawson approached Simms on 15 October 1895, seeking

3663-482: The Trusty Oil Engine Works, a company in receivership whose six-acre site at Cheltenham included a foundry, a machine shop, and testing facilities. Simms recommended buying the works immediately since, with ready facilities and the availability of skilled workers, they could start up in a very short time. Instead, at the first statutory meeting of the company, held while Simms was overseas, Lawson persuaded

3762-465: The board to buy a disused four-storey cotton mill in Coventry which was owned by Lawson's associate Ernest Terah Hooley . Despite Simms' later protest and pleas to sell the mill and buy the Trusty Oil Engine Works, Daimler stayed with the mill as the site of Britain's first automobile factory. Delayed delivery of machines kept the factory unfinished throughout 1896 and into 1897. During 1896 Daimler sold imported cars from companies for which Lawson held

3861-533: The car. One of the passengers fractured his skull in the accident and died in hospital three days later. Under an agreement dated 22 September 1910 the shareholders of The Daimler Motor Company Limited "merged their holdings with those of the Birmingham Small Arms Company (BSA) group of companies," receiving five BSA shares in exchange for four ordinary Daimler shares and £1 5s plus accrued dividend for each £1 preference share . This deal

3960-573: The cars were built at the Vanden Plas works in Kingsbury Lane, London, from body shells made by Park Sheet Metal Company, assembling panels supplied by Motor Panels of Coventry, and by Pressed Steel Fisher . Early limousines bore the "Daimler Vanden Plas" designation on tread plates and workshop manuals. The Kingsbury plant was closed in 1979 and production moved to Jaguar in Coventry , where it continued until 1992. The move to Coventry also brought

4059-423: The chairmanship of Sir Edward Jenkinson, Daimler hired American electrical engineer Percy Martin as works manager and socialite Undecimus Stratton as the head of the London depot, and promoted Ernest Instone to general manager. Jenkinson was succeeded in 1906 by Edward Manville , a consulting electrical engineer. Known as Britain's oldest car manufacturers, Daimler was first associated with royalty in 1898 when

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4158-600: The combustion chamber in which the piston travels." The Royal Automobile Club held a special meeting to discuss the new engine, still silent but no longer "Wholly Knight". The Autocar reported on "its extraordinary combination of silence, flexibility and power." Daimler stopped making poppet-valve engines altogether. Under the observation of the Royal Automobile Club (RAC), two Daimler sleeve-valve engines were put through severe bench, road, and track tests and, upon being dismantled, showed no visible wear, earning Daimler

4257-680: The company in 1904, the Daimler Motor Company was purchased by Birmingham Small Arms Company (BSA) in 1910, which also made cars under its own name before the Second World War . In 1933, BSA bought the Lanchester Motor Company and made it a subsidiary of the Daimler Company. Daimler was awarded a Royal Warrant to provide cars to the British monarch in 1902; it lost this privilege in the 1950s after being supplanted by Rolls-Royce . Daimler occasionally used alternative technology:

4356-601: The company sold their launch works at Eel Pie Island at a loss of £700 or more. Ongoing difficulties with the Great Horseless Carriage Company and the British Motor Syndicate caused Lawson to resign from Daimler's board on 7 October 1897. He was replaced as chairman by Henry Sturmey , who at the time was five days into a motor tour in his personal Daimler from John O'Groats to Land's End . On arriving at Land's End on 19 October, Sturmey became

4455-548: The condition that Daimler and Maybach rejoined DMG. This was agreed in November 1895 and the Daimler-Maybach car business re-merged with DMG's. Daimler was appointed DMG's General Inspector and Maybach chief Technical Director. At the same time Simms became a director of DMG but did not become a director of the London company. According to Gustav Vischer, DMG's business manager at the time, Simms getting Daimler to return to DMG

4554-475: The contemporary Daimler Sovereign with the traditional Daimler fluted grille and the headlights of the Jaguar 420G. The new limousine also shared the 420G's twin ten-US-gallon (38 L) fuel tanks set in each of the rear wings, each with its own electric SU pump selected by a dashboard-mounted switch. The driver sat on a fixed full-width bench seat in a relatively upright position with no more allowance for

4653-657: The corrosion issue of earlier cars (which was related to the division glass), slightly changed the dimensions of the grille, exterior badge placement, and reduced the amount of woodwork in the interior. The third and final facelift came in 1987, with the change to new, plastic-coated bumpers and minor changes to the interior. This last model, known as the "Mk IV", was produced until 1992, when Jaguar/Daimler ceased production of their last coach-built limousine. The factory also supplied part-bodies to external coach-builders to allow them to construct hearses . Delivered vehicles varied from very basic models, with manually operated windows, to

4752-421: The driver's size or shape than 2.75 inches (7 cm) of telescopic adjustment to the column of the low-set steering wheel. The passengers were seated behind a bulkhead with a sliding window that separated them from the driver's compartment. Three of the six passengers sat facing forward on a bench seat over 6 feet (1.8 m) in width, while the other three sat on occasional folding seats . In comparison to

4851-465: The early 1980s, after their purchase by Hertz, Daimler Hire was one of the largest clients. Daimler Hire cars were offered as limousine transportation, as well as for state and official use. Most Daimler Hire cars were well equipped with options, including electric division window, air conditioning, matching leather interiors, and the bonnet flag mount for ceremonial use. The DS420 had a fascia very similar to contemporary Mark X and 420G Jaguars retaining

4950-447: The first letter stood for Daimler, the second letter was part of an alphabetical sequence (i.e. the predecessor was "DR", thus the successor was "DS"), and "420" referred to the 4.2-litre (260 cu in) displacement of the XK engine . The DS420 was built on the floorpan of Jaguar's 420G flagship model with the Jaguar wheelbase extended 21 in (533 mm). The front styling was like

5049-438: The first person to make that journey in a motor car. Gottlieb Daimler resigned from the board of the Daimler Motor Company in July 1898 having never attended a board meeting. Sturmey opposed the appointment of a proposed successor who, according to Sturmey, held no shares and knew nothing about the automobile business. A committee was brought in to investigate the activities of the board and the company. The committee summed up

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5148-522: The front of the car, four-speed gearbox and chain drive to the rear wheels. Because of Daimler's financial difficulty in July 1897 Daimler began asking Lawson's Great Horseless Carriage Company to settle its accounts with them. In the same month, they refused to send working drawings of their 4 hp motor frame to DMG in Canstatt. Lack of co-operation with the Canstatt firm caused Simms to resign as Daimler's consulting engineer that month. Also in July 1897,

5247-489: The hearse, after customization, for the deceased. The most prominent funeral with a Daimler Limousine and hearse was that of Diana, the Princess of Wales in 1997. Diana's coffin was transported in a 1985 Daimler hearse from RAF Northolt to St. James Palace for a lying in state . Her two sisters followed in a 1992 Daimler Limousine belonging to Elizabeth II . The limousines have also been used to transport representatives of

5346-507: The last moment, and instead the Daimler managing director, Percy Martin , created the Daimler commercial division, with Frank Searle as its head. Daimler had been involved with various commercial vehicle designs for some time, and this brought vans, trucks, buses, tractors and railcars under the same division head. All vehicles used the Daimler sleeve-valve petrol engines, many using the 105 hp 15.9 L sleeve-valve straight-six engine . New product announcements followed rapidly, with

5445-482: The late 1920s AEC and Daimler commercial division formed the Associated Daimler Company to build commercial vehicles. The association was dissolved in 1928 with each company retaining manufacture of its original products. By 1914 Daimlers were used by royal families including those of Great Britain, Germany, Russia, Sweden, Japan, Spain, and Greece; "its list of owners among the British nobility read like

5544-626: The licences. Cannstatt supplied engine parts but the delivery of working drawings were delayed for months. Four experimental cars were built in Coventry and a Panhard van was dismantled and reverse engineered . Some Daimler engines, with details redesigned by works manager J. S. Critchley , were also made in 1896. The first car left the works in January 1897, fitted with a Panhard engine, followed in March by Daimler-engined cars. The first Coventry Daimler-engined product made its maiden run in March 1897. By mid-year they were producing three of their own cars

5643-639: The main RAF testing ground for aircraft built in the Coventry district. Although Daimler tooled up for production of the Royal Aircraft Factory F.E.4 bomber the aircraft was cancelled due to poor performance. The last wartime aircraft produced was the Airco DH.10 Amiens bomber when they were building 80 aeroplanes a month. Daimler DS420 The Daimler DS420 , also known as the Daimler Limousine ,

5742-461: The management of the business as being inefficient and not energetic and suggested that it be reorganised and run by a paid managing director. When Evelyn Ellis and another board member did not run for re-election, they were replaced by E. H. Bayley and Edward Jenkinson, with Bayley replacing Sturmey as chairman. Sturmey resigned in May 1899 after Bayley and Jenkinson had reorganised the business. Simms, as

5841-626: The mid-1930s. The change to poppet valves began with the Fifteen of 1933. A Daimler 6 hp was involved in the first motor accident in the UK to be recorded as having involved the death of the driver . A young engineer was killed in 1899 when the rim of a rear wheel of the car he was driving collapsed under heavy braking in a turn on a sloping road in Harrow on the Hill . The driver and his four passengers were thrown from

5940-416: The new company, all the former partners would have to agree to the transfer. By this time, Gottlieb Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach had withdrawn from Daimler Motoren Gesellschaft's business to concentrate on cars and engines for them. Simms offered to pay DMG £17,500 for the transfer and for a licence for Daimler and Maybach's Phénix engine, which DMG did not own. Simms therefore insisted that the transfer be on

6039-419: The next day. The Daimler Motor Company Limited bought The Daimler Motor Syndicate Limited from Lawson's British Motor Syndicate as a going concern. Simms was appointed consulting engineer to the new business but was not to be on the board of directors, possibly because he had become a director of the Cannstatt firm. One of the duties assigned to Simms was to find a suitable location for the factory. Simms found

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6138-518: The occasional seats favouring children. There is no other car that had the honour to carry six members of a reigning royal family at the same time except the Daimler Limousine. Both sons of Queen Margrethe II of Denmark have four children and they can be seen travelling together with their parents in the rear of the Daimlers. On the other hand, royals sometimes can be found in the drivers compartment of

6237-515: The occasional seats seemed tailor-made. The most frequent user was Sarah Ferguson , the Duchess of York, during official engagements. The Queen used it for less formal occasions that did not necessitate the use of a state car. Who was using the Daimler Limousine could be determined by the flag shield carried on the roof behind the blue bullet lamp: the Queen would mount her personal flag shield, such as during her visit to Snettisham in 1992. Other members of

6336-491: The old-fashioned steering column and pencil-thin steering wheel. Two cars were built in landaulette bodywork by the factory. Apparently neither have survived. By 1992, the DS420 was the only model in the Jaguar range still using the XK engine, along with other parts of the drive train and suspension; and, although the car still appealed to its traditional customers, production was no longer economical. The last DS420, registered L420 YAC,

6435-522: The other, stopped making Lanchesters, had a highly publicised removal of their chairman from the board, and developed and sold a sports car and a high-performance luxury saloon and limousine. BSA sold Daimler to Jaguar Cars in 1960, and Jaguar briefly continued Daimler's line adding a Daimler variant of its Mark II sports saloon . Jaguar was then merged into the British Motor Corporation in 1966 and British Leyland in 1968. Under these companies, Daimler became an upscale trim level for Jaguar cars except for

6534-457: The plate displayed an orange and a blue stripe, the colors of the House of Weilburg-Nassau. At the wedding of the nephew of the Grand Duke, who belongs to the House of Habsburg, in Nancy later that year, the corresponding colors of black and yellow were displayed. When the Daimler Limousine is driven outside Luxembourg it carries a diplomatic plate. The Daimler DS420 can claim a special royal record. The rear compartment allows up to six passengers,

6633-430: The purpose and a major re-design and refinement of Knight's design took place in great secrecy. Knight's design was made a practical proposition. When unveiled in September 1908 the new engine caused a sensation. "Suffice it to say that mushroom valves, springs and cams, and many small parts, are swept away bodily, that we have an almost perfectly spherical explosion chamber, and a cast-iron sleeve or tube as that portion of

6732-436: The rear licence plate holder. Attracted by the possibilities of the "Silent Knight" engine Daimler's chairman contacted Charles Yale Knight in Chicago and Knight settled in England near Coventry in 1907. Daimler bought rights from Knight "for England and the colonies" and shared ownership of the European rights, in which it took 60%, with Minerva of Belgium. Daimler contracted Dr Frederick Lanchester as their consultant for

6831-400: The record of the Straight Eight was already broken. One important customer was still without a DS420, until Queen Elizabeth II placed her first order for a Daimler Limousine. Her DS420 was to serve mostly as transport for her son Prince Charles and his spouse. As with the models supplied to the Queen Mother, it was painted black over royal claret and carried a blue bullet lamp. By 1986 time

6930-402: The right to arrange the public flotation of the proposed new company and to acquire a large shareholding for his British Motor Syndicate. Welcomed by Simms, the negotiations proceeded on the basis that this new company should acquire The Daimler Motor Syndicate Limited as a going concern, including the name and patent rights. In order that the Daimler licences could be transferred from Simms to

7029-426: The royal colours of "Black over Royal Claret", had a blue bullet-lamp on the roof, and carried the Registration "NLT 1" or, later, "NLT2". It was the wish of the Queen Mother that after her death her final DS420 should be given to the Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust (JDHT), which today maintains the limousine (with new registration K123 EYL) at the museum at Gaydon, or takes it to rallies. King Hussein of Jordan ordered

7128-410: The royal family could display their personal flag shields as well but regularly used the flag shield with the vice-regal crown, which is also mounted when other dignitaries are being transported, such as the private secretaries , the ladies-in-waiting , the mistress of the robes , or the spouses of foreign heads of state, accompanied by Prince Philip, following the state car. The 1987 Daimler Limousine

7227-676: The same as his previous car, a Rolls-Royce. The Daimler carried a blue bullet-lamp on the roof and served the prince as state car until his death in 2005. The limousine is on display in Monaco's Automobile Museum, which was founded by the Prince in Monte Carlo. Another owner of the DS420 was Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother , who visited the Vanden Plas factory to supervise customizing to her specifications. Between 1970 and her death in 2002, no less than five separate DS420s served her (delivered in 1970, 1978, 1983, 1986, and 1992). They were all painted in

7326-569: The same meeting Simms produced the first licence to operate a car under the Daimler patents. It was for a 3 + 1 ⁄ 2  hp Panhard & Levassor that had been bought in France by The Honourable Evelyn Ellis, who had three Daimler motor launches moored by his home at Datchet . On 3 July, after Ellis bought the licence, the car was landed at Southampton and driven by Ellis to Micheldever near Winchester where Ellis met Simms and they drove together to Datchet. Ellis later drove it on to Malvern. This

7425-522: The same role at the wedding of Prince Joachim and Princess Marie , whom the Limousine then served subsequently. This first DS420 Limousine delivered to a monarch is still with the Queen's fleet and thus has served the Danish court for almost half a century. Following the death of her father King Frederik IX in 1972, both his daughter and successor, Queen Margrethe II of Denmark and Dowager Queen Ingrid wanted

7524-440: The second and most extensive facelift in the car's life, when larger bumpers and a revised rear number-plate frame were fitted. The previous facelift had occurred in 1972 modernizing the window arrangement for the rear passengers. This involved a change from the previous design's division glass design (split between one vertically sliding portion and one fixed pane) to one single window that could slide up and down. It also addressed

7623-525: The standard for all manufacturers instructing RAF mechanics. Having its own body shop, Daimler had the woodworking ability to build complete aircraft. By the end of 1914, they had built 100 units of the Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2c . These were followed by the BE12 and RE8 . Daimler purchased an open field beside their Radford factory, cleared the site, and made it available to the Government, who turned it into

7722-588: The state car after the change, and is in service today. It is definitely the Daimler with the greatest variety of registrations. When hosting state visits or at the parade on National Day it carries a plate that simply displays a crown symbol. In "everyday" duty with the Grand Duke, the plate displays a simple "1". At the wedding of the Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume to Stephanie de Lannoy in October 2012,

7821-448: The use of the Daimler; and so another DS420 was ordered, which was delivered in 1974. It was the same as the first except for a small change in the layout of the rear side windows. Queen Ingrid opted for the newer car and used it both privately and for official duties. Prince Rainier III. of Monaco also took delivery of a DS420 in 1970. His DS420 had exterior two-tone paint of "silk" (a mixture of gold, silver, and pale green) over black,

7920-482: The used-car market. The Danish Queen was lucky to find a pristine example, with almost no mileage on the odometer, that was kept in reserve by a Swedish importer since 1987. It was also in "Westminster Blue", such as was the 1986 model of the Queen. Likely intended as a supplement for the Swedish King, this 1987 Daimler Limousine (chassis nr. 201065) was delivered to the Danish Queen in 1994. This newest model in her fleet

8019-453: The very first Daimler Limousine, a pre-production demonstrator on his visit to London in April 1968 and who later ordered a black production model, delivered in March 1970. After the death of King Frederik IX, this car served his successor Queen Margrethe II, the dowager Queen Ingrid , and Crown Prince Frederik at his 2004 wedding to Crown Princess Mary . In 2008, the Daimler would again serve in

8118-482: Was "no mean feat". The sale of Daimler Motor Syndicate to Lawson's interests was completed by the end of November 1895. The shareholders of the Syndicate had made a profit of two hundred per cent (200%) on their original investment. On 14 January 1896 Lawson incorporated The Daimler Motor Company Limited . A prospectus was issued on 15 February. The subscription lists opened on 17 February and closed, oversubscribed,

8217-612: Was a close link between the Associated Equipment Company (AEC) and Daimler commercial division. Daimler secured sole marketing rights for any AEC chassis other than those required by AEC's owner (the London General Omnibus Company), and in exchange AEC were to fit Daimler engines in their chassis. This agreement was made in 1912, and continued until AEC war service vehicles had to have the Tylor engine fitted. In

8316-431: Was also seen to drive herself in other smaller cars. Since 1904, the fluted top surface to the radiator grille has been Daimler's distinguishing feature. This motif developed from the heavily finned water-cooling tubes slung externally at the front of early cars. Later, a more conventional, vertical radiator had a heavily finned header tank. Eventually these fins were echoed on a protective grille shell and, even later, on

8415-585: Was built in Browns Lane towards the end of 1992 and is the last production car built to have an XK engine installed. This is in the care of the Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust. No direct replacement was produced by Jaguar, although coach builders have adapted the Daimler version of the XJ6 . The Daimler DS420 is widely used among the funeral trade, serving as both the executive car for mourning relatives and

8514-502: Was challenged by the next generation of Rolls–Royce cars, whose Phantom V was more successful, with orders from five reigning monarchs—Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, King Hussein of Jordan, Emperor Hirohito of Japan, Hakim Isa ibn Salman Al Khalifa of Bahrain and Emir Sabbah III of Kuwait—while the Daimler DR450 was delivered to King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand and King Hussein of Jordan. The Daimler Straight Eight (DE36)

8613-778: Was delivered in August 1988, to replace the 1984 model. Apart from a small detail in the interior, it had an identical configuration as the 1987 model. By 1992 this chapter could have ended, because production of the DS 420 Limousine was discontinued. Of the four final examples produced, one went to the Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust, another to the Queen Mother (chassis nr. 201629) and an identically equipped pair to Queen Elizabeth II. (chassis nrs. 201628 and 201630). The Daimler Limousine had survived its rival Rolls-Royce Phantom VI by one year. Both manufacturers had to adhere to new requirements such as crash-tests and emission-regulations. The XK-engine from

8712-425: Was engineered by Dudley Docker , deputy-chairman of BSA, who was famous for previous successful business mergers. Daimler, a manufacturer of motor vehicles, had a payroll of 4,116 workmen and 418 staff immediately before the merger. BSA produced rifles, ammunition, military vehicles, bicycles, motorcycles and some BSA-branded cars . The chairman of the combined group was Edward Manville , who had been chairman of

8811-452: Was found to have been illegally taking money from the company. Hendriks severed his connections with Simms & Co. in February 1893. Simms' Daimler-related work was later moved into a new company, The Daimler Motor Syndicate Limited, which was formed on 26 May 1893. Following the success of Daimler-powered Peugeots and Panhards at the 1894 Paris–Rouen competition , Simms decided to open

8910-399: Was hardly a success. The new project in 1911 was of advanced design with the drive engines charging accumulators which could be used to provide a power boost, or to drive the vehicle in the event of engine failure. The bodywork was completed in 1913. The war interrupted the testing though it fared well, although it wasn't a commercial success and in 1921 the railcar project was dropped. There

9009-510: Was no Daimler variant. Jaguar Cars remained in its ownership, and from 2000 accompanied by Land Rover , until they sold both Jaguar and Land Rover to Tata Motors in 2008, who formed Jaguar Land Rover as a subsidiary holding company for them. In 2013, Jaguar Cars was merged with Land Rover to form Jaguar Land Rover Limited, and the rights to the Daimler car brand were transferred to the newly formed British multinational car manufacturer Jaguar Land Rover . Engineer Frederick Richard Simms

9108-408: Was not to become number 1 immediately. The cars of the Danish court have license plates with a crown and a number. The Daimlers had Crown 1, Crown 2, and Crown 5, but in changeable arrangements. At the wedding of Crown Prince Frederik in 2004, the oldest Daimler still carried Crown 1 while the youngest from 1987 had to settle for Crown 5. At a later date they changed registrations, and the 1987 Limousine

9207-543: Was purchased by Jaguar Cars in 1960, which itself was bought by the British Motor Corporation (BMC) in 1966 and became part of the larger British Leyland conglomerate in 1968. BMC and Jaguar each had their own limousines before merging operations: the Vanden Plas Princess and the Daimler DR450 , respectively. Rather than build two competing products, they decided to consolidate limousine production to

9306-618: Was purchased in 1940 as part of this contingency. If that last resort option had been required, the family were to travel to Holyhead for transport to Canada by the Royal Navy . The mission was disbanded in 1942 and the task of evacuating the Royal Family in an emergency was transferred to a detachment from the Household Cavalry Composite Regiment . Daimler Company The Daimler Company Limited ( / ˈ d eɪ m l ər / DAYM -lər ), before 1910 known as

9405-433: Was ripe for the third order from the Danish court to replace one of the two limousines in frequent use, but it was to replace the newer, not the older car—most likely for sentimental reasons, allowing dowager Queen Ingrid to continue with the Daimler her husband King Frederik IX had ordered. Queen Margrethe II had the new DS420 painted "Westminster Blue". 1987 saw the 35-year anniversary of the reign of Queen Elizabeth II and

9504-716: Was supervising construction of an aerial cableway of his own design for the Bremen Exhibition in 1889 when he saw tiny railcars powered by Gottlieb Daimler's motors. Simms, who had been born to English parents in Hamburg and raised by them there, became friends with Daimler, an Anglophile who had worked from autumn 1861 to summer 1863 at Beyer, Peacock & Company in Gorton , Manchester . Simms introduced Daimler's motors to England in 1890 to power launches. In an agreement dated 18 February 1891, he obtained British and Empire rights for

9603-765: Was the 80 hp Gnome Monosoupape rotary. With no drawings available to them, Daimler's Gnome engines were reverse-engineered from an engine delivered to them on 7 August 1914. Daimler later built the RAF 1 and 1a air-cooled V8s, the RAF 4 and 4a V12s, the Le Rhone rotary, and the Bentley BR2 rotary alongside other manufacturers. Production of RAF 4 engines gave Daimler experience in building V12 engines which would be appreciated when they later designed and built "Double-Six" V12 engines for their large cars. Daimler trained air force mechanics at its works and its training methods became

9702-585: Was the first example of the latest generation to be supplied to a royal court. The revised layout was to generate further orders from reigning monarchs. In 1950, at the Swedish court, a Daimler 4-litre Hooper Limousine was elected to serve as a state car. By 1987, a modern alternative was sought after and found in the DS420 Limousine. The black Daimler (chassis nr. 201045) was finished in October 1987 and subsequently handed over to King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden . It

9801-457: Was the first long journey by motorcar in Britain. Simms later referred to the car as a "Daimler Motor Carriage". Later in 1895 Simms announced plans to form The Daimler Motor Company Limited and to build a brand-new factory, with delivery of raw materials by light rail , for 400 workmen making Daimler engines and motor carriages. Simms asked his friend Daimler to be consulting engineer to the new enterprise. Works premises at Eel Pie Island on

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