Description
Immaculate rare Daimler Hooper Empress IIa 1954 3, 5 litre
For Sale:
Very rare, immaculate1954 Daimler 3. 5-Litre Empress Mark IIA coachbuild by Hooper & Co Ltd on a Regency Chassis DF306 . Chassis nr 91464, 4-door limousine. RHD (right hand drive, RWD (rear-wheel drive), Wilson Preselect gearbox. Cylinders alignment: 6 in line; fuel tank capacity: 82 litre. Servo power breaksystem and (since 2016) electric powersteering. Kenlowe cooling fan between radiator and engine block
Daimler model Empress Mark IIA belongs to full-size luxury car class. Represents the "F (luxury cars)" market segment. The car was offered with 4-door sedan body shapes in the year 1954.
Manufactured by Daimler (U. K.) in United Kingdom and coachbuild by Hooper&Co Ltd
Gasoline (petrol) engine with displacement: 3467 cm3 / 211. 5 cui, advertised power: 85 kW / 114 hp / 116 PS ( max ), torque: 252 Nm / 186 lb-ft, Dimensions: outside length: 4960 mm / 195. 3 in, width: 1800 mm / 70. 9 in, wheelbase: 2896 mm / 114 in
Weights: estimated curb weight: 2000 kg / 4410 lbs
Top speed: 135 km/ h; fuel consumption and mileage: average estimated ca 16. 5 l/ 100km; 1 litre for 6, 6 km.
This Daimler 3. 5-Litre Empress Mark IIA Hooper, manufactured in 1954, is sold to mr H. Smith Esq, managing director of the Daimler sales department in Londen, as the first owner in 1955.
After the car left the UK, now is in the hands of the third Dutch owner.
The car had a total body-off restoration by Royle (U. K.) during 9 years between 1981-1989. Pictures available. The Wilson Fluid Flywheel preselect gearbox had an overhaul in the 2010’s and there was a complete engine overhaul during 2019-2020. Excellent chrome work. Good working automatic chassis lubrication. Spotless royal blue paintwork. Grey Connolly leather trim and light blue carpet. Original “His Masters’Voice” radio.
Coachbuilder Hooper&Co Ltd -since 1940 owned by Daimler- built between 1951 and 1957 36 Empress Mark II or IIA on a chassis of a Daimler Regency. Only in mid 1954 were only 8 Daimler Empress IIA limousines build with a 3. 5 litre engine.
Until WW II Daimler -with Lanchester and Hooper part of the BSA Group- was for the United Kingdom purveyor of the Royal Household for limousines and special cars. Since the start of the reign of Queen Elisabeth II the Queen uses Rolls-Royces and Bentleys. The other members of the Royal Household remain loyal to Daimler Cars. So the Queen Mum always used Daimler cars, and also owned several Empress models. From 1951 on, CEO of Daimler, Sir Bernard Docker and his wife Norah, tried very hard, to deliver big saloons for a greater public. Coachbuilder Hooper&Co Ltd –who also built many special bodies for Rolls-Royce- is instructed to build by hand some special coaches on ash paneled aluminium structured bodies for Daimler. The pictured car is one of the only 8 Empress IIA cars with a 3, 5 litre engine.
However, the era of handbuild cars is nearly over. Daimler was taken over by Jaguar in 1960. Since this year the factory produced (very) luxery versions and specials of Jaguar cars sold as Daimlers.
This beautifull Daimler Empress attended as the one and only non-Jaguar Daimler the selection of the chosen cars at 6 May 2017 in the Royal Windssor Jaguar Festival and made a tour in Windsor Castle. (photo's available). This very rare Daimler Empress won in August 2017 the first price at the united Concours d’Élégance of the Daimler Lanchester Owners Club- Dutch Branche and the Jaguar Daimler Club Holland (Badge on the badge bar of the car). At 2 July 2017 the owner went home with the price for “De Meest Koninklijke Auto” (The most Royal Car) at the Concours d’ Élégance at Paleis Het Loo (Apeldoorn, The Netherlands). Trophy and photo's available.
The car comes with a lot of information materials as:
- Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust sheets
- Hooper blue print and DVD about the car acquired from the Science Museum London
- Album with pictures of the Royle restoration
- Pictures of the overhauled engine.
- Original Owners handbook (1954)
- Original Service parts Catalogue Daimler 3, 5 litre Range (+ copy)
- Copy: Service Manual; General information
- Copy: Handbook Supplement for the Daimler Empress Mk IIA Saloon (chassis only)
- Copy: Daimler Fluid Flywheel and Epicyclic gearbox
- Copy: The Daimler fluid flywheel self-changing transmission
- Copy: Lubrication and Care of the Wilson pre-selective self-changing gearbox
and a little library of 11 books about Daimler:
- Brian Smith: Daimler Days ; 3 volumes, luxe edition in cassette
- Brian Smith: Royal Daimlers
- Brian Smith: The Daimler Traditon
- David Burgess: Daimler Century
- Richard Burgess: Docker Daimlers
- DLOC: Celebration 50 years of the Daimler Lanchester Owners Club
- 3 books about Daimler & Lanchester by Brian Long, Tony Freeman and Daniel Young
Agreed value for insurance is € 80. 00 up to € 100. 000.- Asking price € 70. 000.-
