Seems we drive a ‘sexy and successful product’ ………
I was whiling away time recently at a check out and a book on an adjacent counter caught my eye. ‘Great British Cars’ of the 1920s -1970s. (Published by Octopus Books) It wrote this of the SP……..
“Launched in New York as the Dart, Daimler’s first sports car was officially re-named the SP250 after Dodge claimed copyright. The car was a barefaced attempt to ride the wave of popularity for British sports cars in America, and it looked more transatlantic than the Triumph of MG competitors on which the chassis was built. Daimler’s boldness, and hurry to enter the market, resulted in confused styling. From the front, the fibreglass moulded lines curl sinuously down to the wide grille. From the rear three-quarter view, the futuristic horizontal and vertical lines forming the SP250s outrageous fins seem to belong to another car.
Even so, the awkward design looks sexy – but it is the authoritative throaty rumble from the SP250s twin exhaust that confirms it. Powered by a 2.5 litre V8 engine, the SP250 is a joy to drive. Once initial problems of the chassis (the doors of the original ‘A’ spec had a tendency to fly open on tight bends) had been ironed out, the car began to fulfil its destiny as a two-door open topped-king of the road. Its responsive acceleration appeals as strongly to enthusiasts as it once did to the British Police, who fielded a number of automatic versions as high-speed pursuit vehicles.
The real surprise is that Daimler ever made the SP250 (Dart). For decades the company had been associated firmly with upmarket family saloons and limited production of luxury limousines (whose clientele included the British Royal family). The SP250 is really a delightful aberration. Its oddity, as well as its success, marks it as a product of a specific, late 1950s’ social climate.”
As an side the write-up lists its top speed as 123 MPH and a time of 0-60 in 9.2 secs, whereas, the Sunbeam Tiger’s top speed is quoted at 116 mph and a 0-60 time of 9.5 secs from its 4261cc engine !
The SP moulds recently put up for auction failed to get a bid – from its no reserve sale! Unloved and unwanted, I should think a token bid of £100 and they’re yours!
Barons Classic Car Auctioneers (barons-auctions.com)
I have booked a stand at this prestigious event https://bridgeclassiccars.co.uk/festival-of-classic-sports-cars/ where last year over 1000 classics turned up, this despite there being a few sharp showers, during which we join by many ‘new’ friends who took refuge in our gazebo. If you wish to attend do let me know the cost is £12 per car (driver and passenger). I would like to know, the earlier the better but, by May at the latest please.
Plans are well under way for our trip to the SPA Classic in May https://www.peterauto.fr/en/events/spa-classic/ hotels, ferries and advance club discounted tickets booked. If you care to join us please get in touch and we will see what arrangements can be made.
Keeping you in the loop with this clip recently taken….https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VT0u4mV-yVc
At the last Goodwood Revival there was a vintage race where the competing cars ran on Synthetic Fuel, many advocating this as the way forward. Also, I have knowledge of an SP that has been running on this e-fuel, Coryton (synthetic) Super which is sold under their Sustain Classic brand. It is composed of 80% renewables – this fuel has the charismatic nickname of ‘Slops & tops’ as its blended from a combination of agricultural waste – the reject parts of wheat and sugar beet. The upside, as a grade it’s compatible with 98-RON unleaded and conversely its downside, the tiny weeny snag, of cost at £4 a litre, and last I heard just a couple of sites selling it!
Are we slowly watching the demise of the much fabled Range Rover brand and its derivatives? It is widely known many Insurance companies are refusing to insurance the marque, due to their high theft rate? Mind you it’s not only the Range Rover but many top end 4x4s that attract the attention of the criminal gangs.
Telsa is under much pressure due its falling sales as people turn their backs on the EV market, this coupled with the flood of cheap Chinese imports, and again the insurance sector turning its back on this EV market.
Looking at the EV market as a whole, there is a major discount battle going on at present as sales are plummeting and given the freezing temperature at present many EVs are being discarded at the roadside due to battery life being shorten by these extreme temperatures, the luvvies who drive them hadn’t known that fact, many owners say not again to an EV. Also, it seems that many car companies are being blackmailed by governments to sell a high percentage of EVs, the downside no buyers, so this makes the whole of the UK industry vulnerable to collapse.
And the winner the Chinese automakers
The Mayor of London (not to be confused with the Lord Mayor of the City of London) Sadig Khan, also known by countless as Shere Khan (Jungle Book) as he pounces on the defenceless (car driver) in extracting millions of pounds in additional taxes. It has been reported that he has told the emergency ambulance service that their vehicles have to be converted to EV. Can you image the scenario of an Ambulance……doing the same as……….
No doubt you see the pot holes getting bigger, this isn’t helped by the new EV London Taxi weighing in at 2.7 tons (unladed) as they batter the poor road infrastructure creating even bigger pot holes and their range is but 70 miles – on a fair day. They also need specialist tyres to sustain their weight.
Did you know that over 90,000 people gathered in Dubai for the Cop28 climate change jamboree more than twice the number that attended Cop26 in Glasgow – I wonder why? Some of the whom were shame-faced enough to point out that, though they had emitted copious amounts of CO2 to get there in their private jets they were being ferried around in EVs. They didn’t mention that more than 80% of the UAE’s electricity is generated by natural gas and that the United Arab Emirates’ wealth and influence is entirely based on fossil fuels, Oh well they at least were able to enjoy the sunshine whilst there = do as I say not as I do
And Finally……………..
Thought for the day:
An optomist is one who when getting a parking fine, rejoices that the system works!
