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Daimler Limousine DR450
Daimler Majestic Major first reg Dec 1967 4561cc
Manufacturer The Daimler Motor Company Limited
Parent company Jaguar Cars
Production 1961–1968
864 produced[1]
Assembly Coventry England
Predecessor Daimler DK400
Successor Daimler DS420
Class Full-size luxury car
Body style(s) 4-door 8-passenger[2] limousine
Layout Front-engine, Rear-wheel-drive
Engine(s) 4.561 litres (278 cu in) V8[2]
Transmission(s) Borg Warner DG250 automatic
Wheelbase 3,505 mm (138.0 in)[2]
Length 5,740 mm (226.0 in)[2]
Width 1,868 mm (73.5 in)[2]
Height 1,615 mm (63.6 in)[2]
Kerb weight 2,122 kg (4,678 lb)[2]
Related Daimler Majestic Major DQ450[2]
Daimler (Turner) 4½ litre V8
Manufacturer The Daimler Motor Company Limited
Production 2,044
864 DR450 cars
1,180 DQ450 cars
Predecessor Daimler DE36 Straight-Eight
Daimler DK400 Straight-Six
Successor Daimler DS420
Configuration 90 degree V eight-cylinder
Displacement 4.561 litres (278 cu in)[2]
Cylinder bore 95.3 mm (3.8 in)[2]
Piston stroke 80 mm (3.1 in)[2]
Cylinder block alloy Cast iron
Cylinder head alloy Aluminium alloy, hemispherical combustion chambers
Valvetrain OHV by pushrods and rockers[2]
Two valves per cylinder
hemispherical head
Compression ratio 8.0:1[2]
Fuel system Carburettors—twin S.U. HD8; fuel pump—SU electric
Aua 61[2]
Management None
Fuel type Petrol[2]
Oil system Filter—Full flow replaceable element[2]
Cooling system Water[2]
Power output 220 bhp (160 kW/220 PS) @ 5,500 rpm[2]
Torque output 383.7 N·m (283.0 ft·lbf) @ 3,200 rpm.[2]
Length 31.25 in (793.8 mm)
Width 25.5 in (647.7 mm)
Height 31 in (787.4 mm)
Dry weight 498 lb (226 kg)

The Daimler DR450 is a limousine variant of the Majestic Major DQ450 saloon. Produced from 1961[3] to 1968, it was the last complete car designed by the Daimler Motor Company.

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.[4] 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),[2] 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
  • heating and ventilation are independently provided for rear and front compartments
  • 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
  • rear doors open a full 90 degrees
  • seatbelts no provision
  • grease: ten points every 1,000 miles, seven points every 5,000 miles[2]
Daimler DR450 Majestic Major Limousine

19 feet, 2.1 tonnes, 180 km/h and agile

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."[2]

"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".[2]

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.[2]

Price[]

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

References[]

Smallwikipedialogo This page uses some content from Wikipedia. The original article was at Daimler DR450. The list of authors can be seen in the page history. As with Tractor & Construction Plant Wiki, the text of Wikipedia is available under the Creative Commons by Attribution License and/or GNU Free Documentation License. Please check page history for when the original article was copied to Wikia


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Wikimedia Commons has media related to:
  1. "Ran When Parked: Daimler DR450". Ranwhenparked.blogspot.com (2010-09-18). Retrieved on 2011-06-18.
  2. 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13 2.14 2.15 2.16 2.17 2.18 2.19 2.20 2.21 2.22 2.23 Autocar Road Test 1907, Autocar, 4 January 1963, Iliffe, Sons & Sturmey, London 1963
  3. New Daimler limousine and Lagonda Rapide saloon. The Times, Wednesday, Sep 27, 1961; pg. 15; Issue 55197
  4. New Big Jaguar. The Times, Thursday, Oct 12, 1961; pg. 8; Issue 55210
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