Highlights
- A very rarely seen example of the V12 Series 2 Daimler Coupe
- In a fine condition with restored interior and refinished in gleaming black
- A seemingly low mileage, low owner example of a rare and desirable car
The Appeal
By 1972 Sir William Lyons had retired from Jaguar and had been replaced by FRW “Lofty” England. England had served as an apprentice at Daimler in the late 1920’s and so remembered the Double-Six models of that era. So, when the V12 engine became available in the XJ Series 2 saloons and coupes, he decreed it be known as the Double-Six, reviving the model name after an absence of 50 years.
This is a rarely seen model with only 400 thought to have been made, making it one of the lowest volume models produced by Jaguar. Marketed as the “Daimler Double Six Two Door” this remarkable car combined Daimler’s premium position in the range with the sublime 5.3L V12 engine. This example features a restored interior and later respray but appears to be a low mileage and low owner example and ready for a new owner.
The History and Paperwork
- This Double-Six was first registered in November 1978
- Interestingly, this car’s chassis number reveals it to have been built in 1977
- We know that as production ended with chassis number 2F-1372 in November 1977
- This car’s chassis number reveals it to two cars earlier than the last made
- Given the high original cost of the car it could have remained unsold until 1978
- The first owner retained the car until 1984 and the second until 2004
- The current owner acquired the car in March 2004
- It appears that the car stood unused between 2012 and 2018
- A break in MOT history spans this period with less than 300 miles being added
- At some point the car’s original brown livery was replaced with the current black
- The Daimler has only covered around 600 miles since 2009
- There is a limited amount of paperwork included with the car
- The current V5 registration document is present
- A handful of previous MOTs are also on-hand
- The Daimler was last MOT’d in July 2018 at 43,776 miles
The Interior
- The interior of the Double-Six has clearly undergone a more recent restoration
- The original seats have been retrimmed in scarlet leather
- This is double stitched into a diamond pattern for the seat centres
- The bolsters are finished in smooth leather
- The extremities of the seat are finished with magnolia leather piping
- The rear bench is identically trimmed, and a folding centre armrest is fitted
- The complementary coloured carpets are edge bound in magnolia leather
- The scarlet headlining is tightly and smoothly applied
- The door cards are finished in a complementary colour
- The top and bottom rolls of the dashboard are finished in black
- The centre panel is finished in varnished dark veneer
- Ahead of the driver is a full set of familiar white on black Smiths gauges
- There is a bank of warning lights separating the speedometer and tachometer
- The bezel of the tachometer has lost its black finish
- The large boot is finished with a black, fitted carpet set
- A full-sized spare wheel is housed under the boot floor
- An original jack and accompanying tools are present
The Exterior
- The Daimler is finished in a shiny looking black livery
- This is complemented by a period black vinyl roof
- The paint appears to be a more recent respray
- The DVLA records note the original colour as “brown”
- The paintwork looks generally good with a deep shine evident
- On close inspection there are some cracks noted in the paintwork
- These have been captured for your review
- The chrome work is generally very good with just minor imperfections noted
- The Daimler sits on a set of retrofitted Wolfrace light alloy wheels
- These are 15-inch, five-hole items in an undamaged condition
- They are currently slightly tarnished and would benefit from a polish
- A recent and matching set of Pirelli P4000 Super Touring tyres are fitted
- These are in a 205/70 configuration
- Both cabin glass and light lenses all appear to be in a good overall condition
The Mechanics
- The Daimler is fitted with the, now legendary, 5,344 cc V12 Jaguar engine
- In this form the units were fitted with a Lucas badged fuel injection system
- This was actually a licensed version of the Bosch D-Jetronic system
- Power is fed to the rear wheels via a three-speed automatic transmission
- In this form the power output was 285bhp with 294Ib-ft of torque
- In period this was good for a mid-7 seconds 0-60mph time
- The under-bonnet presentation is reasonable for a car of this age
- The Jaguar V12 was never a very well-presented engine, however
- The engine bay would benefit from a professional clean and detail
- The underside of the car appears to be in good shape for the age of car
- Some new looking components are in evidence under here, too
Summary
The Jaguar Coupe of this period offered owners all the refinements of the XJ saloons but in a more overtly sporting form. This didn’t compromise the ability to move four adults in comfort and luxury, however, especially in storming V12 form. The Daimler Double-Six versions were very much rarer and more luxurious still. Only around 400 of the Daimler version was thought to have been built, compared to over 10,000 for the Jaguar equivalent.
This example is a fascinating low owner and low mileage example. It can’t claim to be entirely original, with a non-standard retrimmed interior and a colour change but it seems to be a very honest example. It offers the lucky new owner choices, too. It can either be used as is and enjoyed or it can be easily given a more standard specification with a mere change of wheels. Either way it represents a vanishingly rare opportunity to own one of the lowest volume Jaguar cars ever produced.
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