Well here we are breaking into a New Year, with storms, floods and gales beating at our doors…who said it was a Happy …..
For many years it has been tradition to see the animated film The Snowman aired on TV just prior to the big day itself. It seems now the iconic 1973 film Magnum Force featuring Clint Eastwood as Inspector Callahan aka Dirty Harry is to follow in its wake as a Christmas treat. And more to the point as Callahan drives into his underground garage he parks up against a red SP250. – I did watch it again…..
Another historic film also aired in the run up to Christmas was the 1962 film The Fast Lady wherein Stanley Baxter is being taught to drive a Vintage Bentley by the scoundrel Leslie Phillips, we are treated to a green SP250 darting passed at high speed. I have tried on a numerous occasions to slow/pause the film to spy its registration number, however, each time without success.
Here we have Jay Leno waxing lyrical in his garage discussing Sunbeam Tigers and the great Daimler SP250
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4hyF1UhFX0 what is interesting is that he is being prompted to say the Tiger is better, he qualifies it by saying a green convertible, whereas the SP is blue.
Some 30 years or so ago back in the early 1990s a boat building company called ‘Tyler of Tonbridge’, who initially as a side-line made repair panels for the SP250, set out to re-create the Daimler SP250 using drivetrain from either Ford, Rover and I think Vauxhall. Its chassis was based on the tried and tested replica ‘Cobra’ BRA chassis. There was only one ever such car completed and it was discovered down in Kent a number of years later fitted with a Rover V8 engine. It was subsequently restored and showcased at the NEC Classic Car show, later sold, its current whereabouts remain a mystery. If I recall correctly Barry Thorne lent Tylers a complete body from which to take a set of moulds, well it transpires the moulds are seeing daylight as Barons Classic Car Auctioneers (barons-auctions.com) are to auction them. I was also under the impression as Barry had lent a body to re-create a mould he was to receive a body in Carbon Fibre, as payment, for his race car – alas this didn’t happen. So who owns the moulds ..Barry as he wasn’t paid or ???
As an aside, there is also a complete set of mouldings out in NZ, owned by the NZ SP250 Club which sells panels individually, as also does John Giddings in Wales
I repeat this great offer from Chris Clarke the Lanchester historian lanchesters@gmail.com by giving us the opportunity to buy any of the 4 Lanchester books at a substantial discount until the New Year:-
Vol: 1 (1895-1931) £25 reduced from £45
Vol: 2 (1931-1956) £25 reduced from £45
Vol:3 (A Celebration of Genius) £25 reduced from £45
Vol:4 (A Joyous Pictorial Journey: 1895-1956) £35 reduced from £75
Postage is £5 per book unless you live near his Gloucestershire home then you can pick it up from Chris himself.
Alan Mason has emailed to say he has a couple of SP Calendars available so if you have not bought one now is the time contact Alan on soaring.ace@btinternet.com £15 for the desk version and £12 for the wall plus P&P.
Alan Mason is also planning this years’ SPA Classic over 17th to 19th May https://www.peterauto.fr/en/events/spa-classic/ the cost of tickets for the 3 day event are 35 Euros. If you care to join us please contact Alan (above) to obtain details.
I popped over to see Brian Smith just prior to Christmas as he had just taken delivery of his new book dedicated to the straight eight Daimler. It is very much a limited edition of just 100 copies, the cost is £52.5 plus p&p .If you care to purchase a copy I will happily forward his contact details or see the Driving Member for information.
John Pond in the USA altered me to the following:- https://tucsonautomuseum.com/car/1964-daimler/ in fact the museum has more than one SP in its collection. John also informed me that one of the museum’s foremost engineers is restoring an SP for his own use.
….Suffered at the hands of a London Taxi Driver, and a month later back to fight another day, looking in fine fettle. Below, back to the scene of its calamity.
Wanted: 2 sets of seat runners (i.e enough for one SP) UK enquiry
And Finally……………..
And yet another patiently waiting for a charnming Prince to come along and awaken it from its slumbers, it’s currently ‘at rest’ up in the Dearbyshire Dales. It’s a July 1961 ‘B’ spec.
Thought for the day:
Logic is the art of going wrong with confidence
