The Nineties may have been the decade of Britpop and the dawn of the digital revolution, but there was also one glorious anachronism that couldn’t have been more British if it tried.
The Daimler Double Six carried on alongside Jaguar’s all-singing, all-dancing XJ40 saloon, countering the new model’s high-tech features with pure tradition – wood, leather and a big V12 upfront. It was the ultimate in old-fashioned luxury and a car that continued to win fans despite being an archaic design that could trace its roots back to the Sixties. And it was glorious for it.
Today, it’s even more so. A well-preserved Double Six is a stunning old-school ‘modern’ classic, with smoothness and luxury that knows no rival. Whisper it, but it’s a more refined car than a Rolls-Royce of the same era, and is almost as well-appointed.
The Double Six comes with a pretty impressive collection of bills and invoices from its early life right through to its most recent service, just 1,600 miles ago in 2020. It has a UK V5C and a selection of old MOT certificates, plus a service book stamped by main dealerships up to 90,000 miles.
As you’d expect from the flagship Daimler, the car is wonderfully well-equipped with sumptuous grey leather seats, deep pile carpets and trademark wood veneers. It’s in great condition with no obvious or major flaws, just some very light wear to the seat facings and seat belts, while the carpets have been protected by ‘Double Six’ over mats.
The car also has its original and sought-after Jaguar tool kit, which is complete, along with a full-size alloy spare wheel. 0517 Daimler Interior-33.jpg4.17 MB
THE EXTERIOR
Solent Blue Metallic
GKN Kent alloys
Very smart and original order
No notable damage
Finished in smart Solent Blue, which is one of the most desirable colours for a Double Six, the Daimler looks particularly grand.
There are no real areas to note on the body – the panels are all straight and true and aside from some very small bubbles on the bottom of the rear arches there’s no visible corrosion to speak of. The vendor describes it as very good overall.
The car sits on its original and rather iconic GKN ‘Kent’ alloy wheels, which are in good order and are shod with Pirelli P6000 tyres, which appear to be in decent order. 0517 Daimler Exterior Full Vehicle-330.jpg6.18 MB
THE MECHANICS
5.3 V12
Auto transmission
Well-maintained and runs smoothly
Under the bonnet you’ll find Jaguar’s 5.3-litre V12 – an iconic engine that is renowned for its super-smooth power delivery.
The vendor says that the car is in fine running order and engages all gears as it should, with no known issues. 0517 Daimler Engine bay-13.jpg5.55 MB
SUMMARY
As classic saloon cars go, the Daimler Double Six is one of the most luxurious, cossetting and powerful cars you could wish for. It’s a truly relaxing way to travel and an absolute classic example of British engineering at its finest.
Good examples are starting to become very collectable and this car has a huge amount going for it. It’s in lovely condition, with a good history and is in one of the best colours.
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