Daimler DS420
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Daimler DS420 | |
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| Manufacturer | Daimler Motor Company |
| Production | 1968–1992 4116 produced |
| Predecessor | Daimler DR450 |
| Class | Executive |
| Engine | 4235cc DOHC Jaguar straight six |
| Wheelbase | 358 cm (141 in) |
| Length | 574 cm (226 inches) |
| Width | 197 cm (77.56 inches) |
| Height | 161 cm (63.39 inches) |
| Curb weight | 2133 kg (4702 pounds) |
The Daimler DS420, popularly known as the Daimler Limousine, began production in 1968. It was based on the floorplan of Jaguar's 420G flagship, but with a wheelbase extended an extra 20in (51cm). The passenger sat on a bench-seat behind the glass division in opulent comfort - the DS420's rear seat spanning over 6 feet (1.83m) in width. The dimensions of the vehicle are the same as those possessed by the Rolls-Royce Phantom VI which the limousine was designed to compete with.
The top speed available from this 245 bhp, three speed automatic, independently suspended, four wheel disc braked Daimler limousine was 110mph (176km/h)
The Daimler DS420 was bought in enthusiastic quantities by the funeral trade as mourners' cars or hearses. The vehicle was also purchased by many local authorities and embassies. The Regent Hotel in Hong Kong still runs a fleet of twenty-two Daimler DS420s. Queen Elizabeth II is a Daimler Limousine owner, as was the late Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother - a reminder of the royal patronage that Daimler lost to Rolls Royce in the early 1950s.
Originally built at the Vanden Plas works in London, production moved to Jaguar in Coventry in 1979, where it continued until 1992. Trim levels varied from the base model with wind up windows to a mobile boardroom built for Jaguar Boss John Egan in 1984, complete with TV, Fax Machine and Cocktail Cabinet and a computer. Always hand-made the DS420 had a fascia like no other 1960s Jaguar, remaining faithful for many years to the old fashioned steering column, to the selector for the automatic gearbox, and to the pencil-thin steering wheel.
Undercutting its rival the Rolls-Royce Phantom VI in cost by 50% or more, the big Daimler was considered to be a fine vehicle for the cost with its Le Mans winning Jaguar engine, the last car to use it, and bespoke construction.
