UK owner Steve Parker fed up with the dismal weather here opted wisely? to visit friends in New Zealand, and doing the rounds he strayed into The Southward Car Museum on Highway 1 in Paraparauma just North of Auckland. The SP displayed in the predominant position as gate guardian to the collection is owned by Peter Osborne of Nova Scotia and was once the property of, New Zealander, Graham McNie who acquired its desirable plate. I do think later the car was owned by Peter’s late brother. At one point up in Nova Scotia where Peter lives and where it bore the plate DUC 370. Interestingly it is fitted with a steering damper, I would like to know more of this modification. Do please get in touch if you know the answer.
Len Southward, who founded the museum, was himself an early member of the Daimler & Lanchester Owners’ Club and owned at his joining a sleeve valve six-cylinder 1912 model, he did much to promote the club in NZ.
The other side of the coin in the EV debate; I have heard from John Browne, who lives in Sunny Australia and has a plethora of high-octane vehicles besides his SP. He wrote after my February Newsletter that it was a dismal 48.9 degrees in the shade!! And that his EV parked in the Sun was a roasting 60 degrees. John is into this modern technical stuff and to cool the car down used his ‘phone app to do so until it was a more realistic 23 degrees. He runs a Kia EV6GT with an annual service cost of a mere A$100 and a product warranty cover of 7 years – benefits it seems of these South Korean built EVs, mind you its 0-60 time of 3.5 seconds is a little faster than a 65 years old SP and out of warranty!
He continues, “my daughter is to swap out her Range Rover for an EV as fed up with the repair costs and the inconvenience of its lay-ups”. Myself, I have just replaced the battery in the key fob in mine, an effort in itself. Moreover, if I park close, say within ¼ mile, to a local military early warning mast and its sending/broadcasting signals then my RR will not start. The mast’s radio frequently interferes with the electronic car signals – and I thought we were trying to jam the Russian spy planes not my dear RR with its modern sophisticated anti-theft device – which in one way, I suppose, it is! Lucky, I am a fully paid-up breakdown recovery member! These Range Rovers have a mind of their own and one needs to put up their little (many) idiosyncrasies if one drives the brand – and their repair bills, not £100 a year that is for sure!
Both Ford and Stellantis – who owned Vauxhall and many continental car brands – have each written off $19.5 billion due to the turmoil being created by politicians who seem hell bent on dictating what we should buy and drive. I am of the opinion there should be a free market choice, not a dictatorial edict.
Not only are we going out to the Spa Classic, but also SP owner Neil Horton who is racing his Peerless after a successful Le Mans Classic event last year. If you wish to join us, do, please get in touch. The dates are 22nd – 24th May. contact Alan soaring.ace@btinternet.com to gain further information.
There are a number of SPs coming on the market at present, and now I know why – it’s Climate Change, everyone else is jumping on this trending craze, so why not me? It’s a very simple sense, no Sun, no fun, no top-down motoring = no buyers, logical what, what?
Such as at Mathewsons this month :- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNpurmZtyDk&t=3s, – could be a snip for sub £17/- with its clutch issue.
https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1960-daimler-sp250-5 note this was registered at one time in the state of Massachusetts as SP250. Sold for $48,250 or about £36.000
https://www.iconicauctioneers.com/1961-daimler-sp250-dart-rec16514-1-stoneleigh-0226
https://www.iconicauctioneers.com/1963-daimler-dart-rec16628-1-nec-0326
Here are the top ten British 100 MPH sports cars from the 1960s and the SP comes in at a very respectable number 5 on the listing being beaten by the Jensen Interceptor at 137 MPH; the AC 428 at 142 – just love that car; the DB 5 at 145 then the iconic E-type at 153. There are one or two hiccups over the models featured such as an MG Midget mistaken for an MGB nevertheless the opening is pure sixties racing clip. – skip the adverts.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X1DhHK-v2Fc
The epic restoration Kevin Monk undertook in a year, displayed one year on the NEC as a wreck, the following year in mint condition.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRywNr19gyE&t=7s contact me if you want an SP to restore
Coombe Abbey is the site for this years’ DLOC National Rally 24th – 28th June. Mark Keshaw and his team are working flat out to ensure an eventful time. For costings and bookings etc see the DLOC rally web site: – https://www.dloc.org.uk/rally-2026 Do join in as we no doubt will be able to get a few SP tables for the dinner on the Saturday.
And finally……….
Makes me feel at home. Could be the old Mann Egerton Showrooms in Chelmsford in the 1960s?
No change in the weather then and now! Except the postman all have vans nowadays. That is what I call commitment, pedalling away – I bet he was still soaked through when he arrived home notwithstanding his wet weather gear!
Thought for the day:
The only reason they say ‘Woman & children first’ is to test the strength of the lifeboats!
