The Daimler SP250
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Sir,
The comments by Mr. C. W. G. Russell concerning the Daimler SP250 cannot go by without a reply for it seems that all too many people have the impression that this car consists of a very smooth engine and nothing else of note; very rarely is the car mentioned at all in motoring magazines and when it is, all we read are comments on doors flying open, heavy steering, leaking windows and shaking scuttles. I would now like to correct the balance a little and express some of the reasons why SP owners tend to keep their cars rather than change them every 18 months.
The qualities of the car have been described as “vintage” when referring to the ride but I have yet to meet an SP owner who feels that the brakes are not adequate; pressure on the pedal has to be firm but they are completely fade free. At parking speeds the steering is heavy but when using the performance of the car to the full the steering is very positive and the car does not weave about the road. The gear change is notchy but very positive and in comparison with many sports cars, the clutch is not heavy.
The body of the car is aerodynamic and functional but not necessarily pretty to look at; being made of fibreglass it will outlive its contemporaries and from early 1961, chassis modifications reduced scuttle and door shake to a minimum. The boot capacity will shame many saloon cars and access to the mechanics of the car is very good except perhaps when removing the starter motor.
When motoring the Daimler will return a fuel consumption of between 25 and 30 m.p.g., the manual gearbox version can almost be driven as an automatic if required and it is one of the few cars in its class that allows the driver and passenger to talk and not shout at one another. It is a great pity that the Daimler SP250 was discontinued from production in 1964.
H. D. SAUNDERS, General Secretary, The Daimler and Lanchester O.C.
Wilnecote.