Daimler DR450 Limousine

 1961 to 1968

Manufacturer	The Daimler Company Limited
Production	1961–1968 864 produced
Assembly	Coventry England
Predecessor	Daimler DK400
Successor	Daimler DS420
Class	Full-size luxury car
Body style	4-door 8-passengerlimousine
Layout	Front-engine, Rear-wheel-drive
Engine	4.561 litres (278 cu in) V8
Transmission	Borg Warner DG12 automatic
Wheelbase	3,505 mm (138.0 in)
Length	5,740 mm (226.0 in)
Width	1,868 mm (73.5 in)
Height	1,615 mm (63.6 in)
Kerb weight	2,122 kg (4,678 lb)
Related	Daimler Majestic Major DQ450

The Daimler DR450 is a limousine variant of the Majestic Major DQ450 saloon. Produced from 1961 to 1968, it was the last complete car designed by The Daimler Company Limited.

Intended for the carriage trade, as an executive express or as a hire car for those needing something larger than a five-seater saloon, the DR450 was produced in numbers close to those of the Majestic Major saloon on which it was based.

Design and specifications

The chassis was 24.0 in (609.6 mm) longer than for the Majestic Major and the necessarily flat glass of the three side-windows no longer could be let flow with the body-shape. The equally flat-windowed but bulbous Jaguar Mark X was released to the market the same year. The 4,561 cc (278 cubic inch) hemi-head engine pushed the 2¼ tonnes of car and driver to 100 km/h in under 11 seconds, to 100 mph in 37 seconds and provided a top speed of 183 km/h (114 miles per hour), rather better than the much shorter lighter 5-passenger Jaguar Mark X.

chassis: massive box-section and cross-braced frame, separate from the all-steel body

suspension

front: Girling type with semi-trailing wishbones and forward facing arms, coil springs, Girling telescopic dampers

rear: live axle, half-elliptic leaf springs, Girling telescopic dampers

brakes:Dunlop disc brakes vacuum-servo assisted

front: 12.5 in (317.5 mm)

rear: 12 in (304.8 mm)

wheels: 16 in (406.4 mm) pressed steel, 5 studs, rims—5.5 in (139.7 mm)

tyres: Dunlop RS5, 700-16 with tubes

steering: Hydrosteer power assisted

steering wheel diameter 18 in (457.2 mm)

steering column: adjustable for reach

headlamps two 50/40 watts and fog lamps

seating, three on the front bench seat, three on the back seat and two on the folding occasional seats

folding occasional seats have received particular care in shaping for comfort and support. They fold away into their own footwells below the division when not required

Test

Autocar road testers said "Few cars possess the Jekyll and Hyde personality of the Daimler limousine in providing very high performance, comfort, safety and enormous carrying capacity . . . after enjoying the Daimler for its special merits of high performance and excellent handling, one feels even a little sympathy for chauffeurs who may rarely have the opportunity to discover for themselves the other side of the car's character."

"It is always a challenge to the engineers to provide a good compromise of ride in a car of which the laden weight can conceivably vary by as much as 14 to 15 cwts 1,568 lb (711 kg) to 1,680 lb (762 kg). The Daimler limousine has achieved a very high standard in this respect"

Performance

On test by Autocar average fuel consumption for the total distance of 1404 miles proved to be 14.7 miles per gallon or 19.2 L/100 km. The maximum speed of the car was a (mean) of 113.5 mph, 182.6 km/h and the best run 114 or 183.2 km/h.

Price

October 1961 £3,995 including tax, Jaguar Mark X £2,393

A 1966 Daimler DR450 Limousine in The Italian Job Movie from 1969