Daimler 250
| Daimler 2.5 V8 & V8-250 | |
|---|---|
2.5 V8
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| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | The Daimler Company Limited |
| Production | 1962–1967 (2.5 V8) 1967–1969 (V8-250) total in excess of 17,600 |
| Assembly | Coventry, England |
| Designer | William Lyons (body) Edward Turner (engine) |
| Body and chassis | |
| Class | Executive car (E) |
| Body style | 4-door saloon |
| Layout | FR layout |
| Related | Jaguar Mark 2 |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | Daimler 2.5-litre V8 |
| Transmission | |
| Dimensions | |
| Wheelbase | 2,720 mm (107.1 in) |
| Length | 4,570 mm (179.9 in) |
| Width | 1,670 mm (65.7 in) |
| Kerb weight | 3020 pounds 1375 kg |
| Chronology | |
| Predecessor | Daimler Conquest |
| Successor | not replaced so Daimler Sovereign 2.8 |
The 2.5 V8/V8-250 is a four-door saloon which was produced by The Daimler Company Limited in the United Kingdom from 1962 to 1969. It was the first Daimler car to be based on a Jaguar platform, the first Daimler car with a unit body, and the last Daimler car to feature a Daimler engine after the company was bought from the Birmingham Small Arms Company by Jaguar Cars in 1960. The engine is the hemispherical head V8 designed by Edward Turner and first used in the Daimler SP250 sports car.
Daimler had entered the medium-sized saloon market in 1932 with the Daimler Fifteen but left the market with the end of production of the Conquest in 1957. Attempts to re-enter the market with Turner's 2.5-litre V8 included development of the DN250 based on the Vauxhall Cresta PA's unibody, which was discontinued before Jaguar's purchase of Daimler, and the DP250 two-door saloon based on the SP250, which was discontinued by Jaguar after it bought Daimler.
Despite claiming interest in expanding Daimler's markets, Jaguar had bought Daimler primarily to expand their production facilities and, apart from replacing the DK400B limousine with the Majestic Major-based DR450, Jaguar had done little to develop new Daimler models.Stratstone Ltd., Daimler dealers since their founding in 1921 as Stratton-Instone by former Daimler executives, pressed Jaguar to develop a medium-sized saloon to replace the Conquest, which Jaguar agreed to do in exchange for Stratstone dropping their Volkswagen franchise.
Daimler's development of the 2.5-litre saloon was initially given few resources; the first prototype was based on an old Jaguar Mark 1 unibody that had been abandoned outside one of the factory buildings after having been modified for suspension experiments. Once the concept had been proven, a new prototype based on a Mark 2 body shell was built The Daimler V8 engine was more compact and lighter than the Jaguar XK6 engine used in the Mark 2, and weighed approximately 1 long cwt (51 kg) less. Spring and damper settings were revised accordingly to suit the altered weight distribution. The engine sump had to be redesigned to fit between the Mark 2's front suspension units and around one of its crossmembers, new exhaust manifolds were designed to fit in the engine bay, the water pump and cooling fan were relocated, and different air filters were used. The cylinder head fasteners were changed from studs to set bolts to allow the heads to be removed while the engine was still in the car. The radiator fan was driven through a viscous coupling unit that slipped progressively with increased engine speed, which reduced noise from the fan. The Daimler's Borg-Warner Type 35 automatic transmission was smaller and lighter than the units used on the Mark 2 and had strong engine braking in each gear range.
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