Daimler V8 SP250 – 215

The SP250 certainly wasn’t your average Daimler, and wasn’t particularly successful for Daimler or later owner, Jaguar.

But it was a pretty bold move, with a GRP body, styling that most people either love or hate, and a very well-regarded small V8 motor. In this revised version of a book first published about 10 years ago, prolific author Brian Long has got another very good piece of work.

The car was originally called ‘Dart’ until Dodge claimed it had the rights to the name. In its initial version it had even more pronounced tail fins, which were trimmed a bit for production. The earlier models suffered from chassis and body flex (doors tended to open by themselves under hard cornering!) but things were tightened up for the B and subsequent models. And the V8 motor was a successful transplant into the Jaguar Mk2 saloon body, to create the V8-250. Long tracks all this well, including Daimler’s very over-optimistic sales expectations. Though a more conventional-looking version in 1963, the SP252, got Jaguar support it didn’t proceed because it took longer to produce than the much better-selling E-Type.

The book has short chapters on owning and restoring an SP250, and useful appendices on factory modification notices and cars that could be considered main rivals in the marketplace. Also really fascinating for me were the sections on SP250 police cars, the quickly killed-off Hooper sports saloon version, various specials, and the car in competition (though the NZ-made Begg and Heron don’t get a mention).  A recommended read.

Daimler V8 SP250 by Brian Long
Review copy supplied by the publisher
Review by Mark Holman