BF Auction: 1959 Daimler SP250
- Seller: Jesse M
- Location: Boise, Idaho
- Mileage: 33,992 Shown
- Chassis #: 100027
- Title Status: Clean
The Daimler SP250 had been on my bucket list for many years when I finally found this one. It came to me in “barn find” form so some work was needed to make it a runner again. It’s not perfect but it is a very cool driver with great potential. I’m ready to move on to my next project though so with great hesitation, I’m auctioning it off right here on Barn Finds!
The SP250 was a very unique car, especially for a company like Daimler. Daimler was known for their luxury cars but they wanted a piece of the lucrative sports car market in America. So they created a team and made a list of everything they thought Americans might desire. Wild styling, check! V8 power, check! British charm, check! The resulting machine was impressive but the price tag limited sales and eventually Jaguar killed it off after taking over the company.
The body styling may be polarizing but there is no denying that this car is eye-catching! Some say it looks like a catfish but I think it looks amazing in person. If you want something that stands out and will still run with the big boys, then may I suggest an SP250? A metal body would have been prohibitively expensive so Daimler molded this thing out of fiberglass. There is a crack on the passenger’s side front fender and the rear deck lid doesn’t match, but otherwise the body is in decent shape.
The body sits on a simple and tough ladder frame. Mechanical bits for these are available and the fiberglass is easy to fix, but a bad frame would be hard to replace. The good news with my car is that the frame is nice and solid. Many of the cars I’ve looked at have had rusted-out rear cross members or worse. There is surface rust and one small hole but it would be easy to patch.
Here’s the gem of the SP250. This is what really makes these cars special. It’s a 2.5 liter hemi-head V8 and it’s one of the smoothest running powerplants I’ve ever experienced. When you put your foot in it, the engine roars like a muscle car! But when idling at a stoplight, it’s so quiet that you might think you’ve stalled! This engine wasn’t even running when I got it, but all it took was a new water pump, hoses, fluids, and a battery to get it back on the road!
Turns out that we actually featured it back in 2017 when it lived in a barn in Oklahoma. The photos didn’t do the car justice but it looks like it was in about the same condition back then. It’s too bad no one got it running since then because these are actually very fun to drive. I’m guessing the car was given a minor cosmetic restoration a long time ago and then wasn’t used much. Supposedly the deck lid was lost when the car was being transported. Luckily a replacement was located but unfortunately, it’s green.
The interior is all there but could use some refreshing. Luckily, carpets and even upholstery kits are readily available. That’s surprising too considering that only a couple thousand of these were ever built. Mechanical parts are easy to get and David Manners in the UK even carries normally hard-to-find items like rubber gaskets. In fact, we replaced all the rubber around the windscreen. Unfortunately, we also cracked the windshield in the process. No worries though, because even glass is available and relatively affordable.
There’s even a back seat! Apparently, Daimler was going to use the model name Dart for their new sports car, but Dodge quickly shot that down! SP250 production chassis numbers started at 100010 and this car’s is 100027. So this car was most likely in that first batch shipped over from the UK. That may not add a lot of value but it does make this one a little more interesting. The body number is even lower…
The next owner could drive this roadster as-is while they start addressing any issues that come up or they could start a frame-off restoration. Personally, I would just service the car and continue to enjoy it. This would be a hit at any Cars and Coffee or local British car club meets. Please leave any questions you may have in the comments below and good luck bidding!
Bid On This Auction
Britbuyer bid $18,000.00 2023-09-27 10:46:08
infromix bid $16,061.00 2023-09-27 10:45:19- Britbuyer bid $15,000.00 2023-09-27 05:51:40
parallax_ca bid $12,656.00 2023-09-26 20:17:30
jp23 bid $12,000.00 2023-09-26 20:05:22- Britbuyer bid $10,000.00 2023-09-26 14:46:18
shadowdogcole bid $8,250.00 2023-09-25 07:54:37- Britbuyer bid $8,000.00 2023-09-22 16:14:25
- parallax_ca bid $7,100.00 2023-09-21 21:55:27
Meatnmetal bid $7,000.00 2023-09-21 12:13:31- Britbuyer bid $5,000.00 2023-09-20 20:56:04
echov88 bid $4,150.00 2023-09-20 09:51:17
The irish man bid $4,000.00 2023-09-20 07:48:47
NetTripp bid $3,333.00 2023-09-20 07:22:26- The irish man bid $2,000.00 2023-09-20 06:27:09
- shadowdogcole bid $1,200.00 2023-09-20 05:20:03
Tbadz bid $800.00 2023-09-19 21:25:03
DanK bid $700.00 2023-09-19 21:15:39
RNelson bid $600.00 2023-09-19 20:34:16
billydawg bid $500.00 2023-09-19 20:23:41
Auctions Ending Soon
2006 Ford Mustang Saleen S281 SCBid Now12 hours$15,000
2002 Subaru Impreza WRXBid Now3 days$333
1975 Chevrolet Corvette ConvertibleBid Now3 days$3,000
1964 Ford F-100 Camper CustomBid Now3 days$2,000
2006 Jeep Wrangler SportBid Now5 days$10,500
Comments
Would the seller be willing to ship to Alberta Canada? Thanks.Derek.
The buyer is responsible for shipping arrangements but it’s ok with me if you can get everything setup in a timely manner. Thanks!
Doesn’t seem like this is going to sell…..what price will it take to meet reserve?
@Buelowbuilt – I think it’s going to sell. Getting close now!
My friend’s parents had one of these stuffed in their garage back in the 60’s. My buddy’s brother gave me a ride in it one day and proceeded to pull the enrichment cable on the dash. It took off like it was on fire!
My dear old Dad, who campaigned British sports cars in the ‘50s and early 60’s once said to me about the SP250 Darts” Give an Englishman a sheet of fiberglass and he’ll do some stupid with it every time” lol
Looks like a great driver and should be kept that way, this way others can enjoy it for its unique lines and red color. I’d paint the trunk lid to match the rest of the car with some patina to match. Fins were ‘what was hot back in the late 50’s for those of you not familiar with that time frame. Just look at a 59 Cadillac or Chevy Impala! You’ll get my drift!!
Watching with interest, have always wanted one of these, quirky styling and small hemi V8. I always wanted to transplant one of these into a Sunbeam Alpine GT and make up a story that it is a downsized Plymouth Barracuda prototype.
There’s one of these down the road from me just sitting next to a garage uncovered.
Hi James, is this the one in Ipswich massachusetts near the Clam cabin ? .
If so Ive been tempted to stop in and ask about it but thankfully my garage is full :)
Theres a Daimler SP250 parts seller that lives in Ipswich perhaps its him.
I’d like to deliver a stern lecture to Jesse,,,,over the years, we’ve seen a lot of their “projects” come and go. Let me say this coming from experience, you need to hang on to these “projects”. This is one, I feel, being one of the more unusual cars in existence, should be held onto. The site continually rubs “it” in my face, all the cool vehicles I got rid of, to help fund “the next project” or in my case, worse. ( certain Diamond T/Packard sales come to mind). It was a foolish way of doing things, and I simply admire those that still have their 1st Sting Ray bicycle. I’ve seen a lot of cars over the years, and NEVER a SP250. The only other similar car I’ve never seen was a Sabra.
Take it from me, someday, God willing, you’ll be old and unable to do these things and you’ll be going over these “treasured memories”, and by golly, it’s just not the same. Keep the Daimler,,,you’ll NEVER find another.
I do wish we could keep it Howard! Garage space is limited though and we can’t seem to stop dragging home new projects.
jesse i’ll re peat howard a’s stern lecture… DON’T DO IT!!!!
from you own words… it’s been on my bucket list for many years
sell something else. something less endearing. one of the it’s a cool project.
give this one the love and a warm dry space that it deserves.
it’s been on my bucket list for many years
so with great hesitation, I’m auctioning it off
this from another with a long list of coulda shoulda wouldas
I got to experience what these cars are like and I left it better than I found it. There are too many more cars to experience to keep them all.
Sweet! It looks like a cartoon car.
looks like the car at the front of Antique Roadshow- although that one is in a bit better shape.
and carries antiques out the back
same car
Around 1970 my father worked for a dealer in Olathe, KS called Joe Egle Imports. He regularly brought home exotic cars. I’ll never forget the time he brought this exact car home. It was white. I remember two things. One was a suspension so stiff it felt as if there was none, and two was the neck-snapping torque. All meaning that at 15 years old I loved the car. The V8 hemi was super-cool.
Joe Eagle always had some e-type and other fun stuff for sale in the late 80s and early nineties and I was a young man and couldn’t quite afford them. I talked to him on the phone a couple times, but never pulled the trigger. He was very helpful and willing to chat.
Always loved these and they are always “Darts” to me.My first editor had one and so did the Met Police.They ordered 25 in black with a silver bell in the front to chase speeders on the newly opened M1.Boy..love to have an Ex Cop Dart.Good luck with the sale..as others have said..hope you dont regret it!
My parents bought a new one back in ’63. It had power, a lot more than the ’55 Speedster that I had at the time. I ‘borrowed’ it a lot!
That’s awesome!
This car always reminded me of a grouper. (the fish)
Just because it’s rare doesn’t make it as nice as a pretty C1 Corvette.
Whoever said anything about a Corvette? I’d still rather have one of these because you won’t see another one at your local car show.
Do these even have convertible tops?
Yes, check out the photo gallery. The top is in really good condition actually!
I was living in England in 1961 and the police used Daimler SP250’s to catch speedsters on the M1!! They were capable of 120 mph +!
My uncle was a racer in the early 60’s, He wrecked his Elva Courier and went to an Sp250, white hardtop. Ugly but a good track weapon.
How about a few more pictures Jesse? Ha, ha. At least nobody can complain that there aren’t enough here!
That’s right! We’ll be adding video shortly too.
Don’t know who inspired whom, but the front resembles a ‘58 Packardbaker.
Jesse, pic 140, I was puzzling over that one for a minute, then I remembered my old Healey, is that the steering box with the wires for the turn signals coming out the end?
The turn signal switch is in the middle of the steering wheel so I think your assumption is correct.
Also, I know you don’t have a long history with the car, but the early cars were supposed to be a bit of a flexible flyer, and later cars got some chassis and body reinforcements, any idea if this car was fitted with the reinforcements?
After Jaguar bought the company, they added some outriggers below the doors. This is an early Daimler-made car so it doesn’t have those but the metal is available if someone wanted to make the modifications. Personally, I don’t think it would be worth the effort unless you were doing a body off restoration.
Thanks, figured it would probably be a take the body off the frame thing to upgrade, just didn’t know if maybe something had been retrofitted, sounds like not.
I’ve wanted an SP250 ever since restoring my Daimler V250 30 years ago. I’m still driving my “Jaguar by another name” and Fergie would love meeting her ugly playboy uncle. But alas, there’s not even room to slip another spanner into my garage.
Jesse, would it be possible to stop by and see the car Wednesday morning? Time is flexible, whatever works. Thanks. Email directly if you like.
Sure, you can but the auction ends at 11am on Wednesday.
I thought it ended at 1:00…I’ll get back with you.
We just added startup and underside videos!
Great, don’t want to leave you hanging…the videos are great and tell the story. No need for me to make the trip.
How many of these were exported to the USA? I’ve been reading about them for many years, but have never actually seen one.
The UK “Classic and Sportscar” magazine once called it underrated. I find it quite attractive, and this appears to be a nice specimen.
Online sources claim that 2.654 were built in total with only 1,201 being left hand drive. No wonder they are a rare sight!
So stated it runs and drives well, it certainly sounds good. Does it shift smooth, any crunches or transmission noises (I think non-synchro first right?). Does it run hot? Oil pressure good? Steering tight? (for what it is), any clunks or bad noises when going down the road? Gauges all work? Thanks
We just uploaded a video that answers all your questions. Shifts smoothly. First gear is noisy but that is pretty normal for a none synchro first gearbox. It hasn’t gotten hot for me and oil pressure is good. Gauges work and the steering is a little loose but not bad for what it is. Please checkout the video and let us know if you have any other questions. Thanks!
Has there been a compression test done on the engine? That would give some valuable information. Thanks
We haven’t done a compression test but, as you can see in the video, it runs out great! We might be able to test it tomorrow before the auction ends if needed.
Jesse, It is creeping up out of my range, not that it shouldn’t, but thanks for answering all the questions, good luck with the auction, somebody is going to get a really fun car.
Thanks for your interest!
The only parts missing from this SP, unless Jesse has them elsewhere, are the front bumper and over riders, it has all the difficult bits, such as rear view mirror and ash try. A straight forward restoration
Thanks for chiming in Laurence! I do not have the front bumper but I believe new ones are still available. Do you have any history on this car in the archives?
I received an email from Glyn Overy who has access to the factory records. This is what he had to say about the car:
I’ve just been looking at photos of your car on Barn Finds. If you look carefully at the photo of the body number you will see that it reads 737-0021 which is correct for chassis no 100027. The car was painted red (the current colour is pretty accurate to the original). The car was built in October 1959 and sold through Fergus Motors of New York.
Kind regards,
Glyn
Congrats Britbuyer! Well bought at $18k.