1923 Daimler D16 Landaulette.
Chassis number: 21825
Registration number: XP8310
Utterly Charming with very period upright coachwork: This Sleeve valve Daimler was purchased by the Duke of Hamilton From London Dealers Stratton Instone of Pall Mall for the use of a Miss Louise Lind-af-Hageby whom was the Duchess of Hamilton’s “Lady’s Companion.” This was a role usually filled by single middle class ladies & involved everything from acting as a personal assistant to a travelling companion, - a position that in Royal terms would be referred to as a “Lady in Waiting.” The Hamilton’s must have thought a great deal of her as they not only provided her with a car, but a Daimler no less!
The car was in regular use around London including appearing in the 1926 Lord Mayors parade upon which date it carried the Swedish Ambassador, no doubt due to Miss Lind-af-Hageby’s Swedish ancestry. It was put in storage in 1929 & remained so up to the second world war.
In 1959 the Daimler was purchased by a garage owner who kept it stored but never got around to his intention of restoring it. 1999 found it passing into the hands of a Mr Simon Barringer who took the body off prior to attending to & restoring the mechanics of the car. The body was then re-united with the chassis & a full re-trim undertaken using the original foxed & moth-eaten fabrics as a template for the new interior. The car was also beautifully painted in an arresting colour of blue over traditional black. This was a five year process & clearly a job well done as the car presents beautifully today & is to show standards. Interior seating is of buttoned cloth trimmed with silk rope edge work.
We believe this to be the only Daimler D16 extant & on the road making a rare bird indeed. The car must look much as it did when it resided at Regents Park in the 1920’s/ The six cylinder sleeve valve engine lives up to its reputation for smooth silent running & is a pleasure to drive. One must be aware that the clutch pedal is a two stage unit that when fully depressed also acts as an engine brake. One thus only depresses it half way on up changes & fully on down changes in order to achieve smooth changing results. Under the bonnet the car is utterly original, tidy & not messed about with. Indeed the car as a whole is in fine order & must be close to how it left the factory in 1923. A Large Klaxon horn is fitted to the bulkhead & a temperature gauge to the radiator top.
The car abounds in delightful period details from the supplying dealers plaque to a full set of original instrumentation. The rear Landaulette roof opens easily allowing for alfresco motoring for the rear seated occupants. Stately rather than sporting, this is a car in which to make a progress at a leisurely pace whilst allowing those with a bent for “furious driving” ( a motoring offence up to the 1890’s) to pass by on their travels. Th coach work has no division & is thus commodious in the extreme for both front & rear occupants.
This lovely little Daimler is a great alternative to a similar Rolls Royce 20hp but is of course far far rarer & has delightful vintage appeal.
