Daimler Empress MK II -
Rolls Royce Silver Wraith
and Standard Bentley R by Hooper - Lanchester Dolphin



Daimler
Empress MK II
Daimler by Jean Michel Prillieux
1. Origins of
Daimler
In 1896 was
raised to England the obligation for any car to be
preceded by a man provided with a red flag.
It is there as
this year as the British firm Daimler was founded by
Frederick Simms. It acted then of a subsidiary company of the German
group Daimler,
created by Gottlieb Daimler. Buildings were bought in Coventry, city
then
located at the heart of the mechanics and cycle industry. First
Daimler were built in 1897, on the basis of frame Panhard &
Levassor.
The first car of
the royal family was Daimler bought by the prince
of Wales, future Edouard VII. The mark profited already from a
flattering image
concerning the quality of its achievements, and this noble
sponsorship only could
to reinforce the notoriety of Daimler, which was going to become the
supplier regular of
royal family during between two wars.
Daimler was
integrated in 1910 into company BSA (Birmingham Small Arms).
group German Daimler amalgamated for its part with Benz in 1926 to
create
the group Daimler Benz. Each of the two Daimler entities were going
to continue
independently their way.

Source:
http://www.britcycle.com
Giant BSA had
harnessed himself with automotive engineering, without meeting it
discounted success. This bringing together with Daimler was going
finally to allow BSA
to affirm itself in an automobile sector in full growth.
The
participation in the effort of war during the first world
war obliged
a Daimler time to direct itself towards the production of heavy
lorries and engines
planes. After the war, Daimler took again the automobile production,
extremely
of a public image equalizes with that of Rolls Royce.
The new owner
made the choice judicious to leave a certain autonomy
with the leaders of Daimler. Contrary to the majority of the
manufacturers who in
vestissaient in the mass production, Daimler still preferred to
propose with
its customers of the cars which met their individual needs. For
that,
firm of Coventry made call so necessary to carriage-builders, among
whom
Hooper appeared already in good place.
2. Daimler
after the second war
After the second
war, Daimler presented a new range. These models
very expensive could allure only one customers crowned extremely
marginal. Moreover, the main part of the sales was done in the
British empire.
Apart from its pre square, the mark did not enjoy any particular
prestige.
Accordingly, the access to the American market which constituted
Eldorado then
manufacturers of in addition to Manche appeared quite illusory.

3. The
influence of Lady Norah Collins
The marriage of
president de Daimler and BSA, Sir Bernard Docker, with Lady
Norah Collins, widow of the billionaire Sir William Collins,
president de
Fortnum &
Mason and of
Cerebos salts, marked the history of the worthy auto-
manufacturer
mobile. This woman took share in an effective way to the businesses
of her husband,
in the incentive to re-examine the marketing policy of Daimler.
According to
Lady Docker, it was urgent to democratize the productions of
Daimler,
and thus of touching customers faithful to Jaguar, Armstrong
Siddeley, Wolseley
or Humber. Conquest (French conquest) presented in 1953 answered
this definition. Regency, a notch with the top, supplemented the
offer. It evolved/moved
in Regency II then in Daimler One-O-Furnace (104) without much
influence on
success of these cars of another age.



In spite of the
efforts authorized to diversify the offer, the volume of the sales
remained poor, and did not ensure to in no case the profitability of
the business.
4. Daimler
Empress MK II
Daimler Empress
MK II was proposed in this difficult context. This bus
very British beastly remark was imagined and manufactured at Hooper
on a frame
Daimler One-O-Furnace. This drawing, known under the name of
"Empress line", was die
cliné on many Rolls Royce and Bentley contemporary.

5. Sir
Bernard Thanked Docker
Sir Bernard
Docker was shown of a bad management of the firm of which it had
the load. The creations initiated by the couple Docker, with in
particular the idiots
truction of a series of Daimler special intended for the promotion
of the mark,
contributed to lead the accounts of the company. The noisy luxury of
which it
couple made display with the daily newspaper had ended up irritating
the administrators.
Sir Bernard
Docker was thanked without care in 1956. New pre
sident, Jack Sangster, old responsible for the motor cycles Triumph
apparte-
nant with same group BSA that Daimler, took its place.
6. The offer
is renewed
Daimler
presented the Majestic limousine in 1958, then surprising it
roadster
Dart in 1959, which did not meet more success than their
predecessors
(two illustrations below).


7. Jaguar
with the help of Daimler
For the group
BSA, Daimler had become a too heavy load to carry. As of
at the time, when Jaguar expressed its interest for the old British
mark, them
leaders of BSA were not made too much request. Dynamics firm of Sir
William Lyons was at the time a little with narrow in her factories
of Coventry.
It sought to increase. The Daimler factory was going perfectly to
make the deal.
June 18, 1960,
Jaguar bought the Daimler mark and its factory and the marque
continued
With the exception of Limousine DS 420, Daimler are
since
beginning of the Sixties some of the most luxurious versions leaving the
Jaguar factory.

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