Daimler Sovereign

ENGINE 4235cc/6-cyl/DOHC POWER 245bhp@5500rpm TORQUE 283lb ft@3750rpm MAXIMUM SPEED 126mph 0-60MPH 10sec FUEL CONSUMPTION 12-17mpg TRANSMISSION RWD, three-speed auto MoT September 2020 ODOMETER 70,076 miles

WHAT’S IT LIKE TO DRIVE?

The car starts after a couple of churns on the starter and bursts into life with a delicious roar. All sounds good as you move the automatic gear selector into first; the Daimler drives extremely well with no slipping or hesitation from the transmission. The kickdown works properly, too. The engine feels smooth, the steering surprisingly responsive and the suspension taut – no worn bushes here. The ride is excellent and the brakes are very good, pulling the car up in a straight line with no fuss. It handles credibly, with no significant body roll.

BODYWORK CHECK

Try as we might, we could find no bodywork issues. The floors are sound and there’s no evidence of bodging on the sills. The paint is good and doesn’t seem to be covering up any horrors, even around the wheel arches where you would normally expect to find at least some rot. The doors, which also show no signs of rot, close as they should and the front valances are sound. The vendor will fit a new bonnet mascot

prior to sale, but the rest of the chrome – including, thankfully, the huge radiator grille – is in good condition. Aftermarket spotlights are fitted and the tyres have plenty of tread.

HOW’S THE INTERIOR?

The headlining is very unhappy to say the least; someone has run amok with a staple gun in a bid to tackle sagging and there’s a section missing from around the nearside C-pillar. The only real option is a new headlining, for which the vendor reckons you’d need to budget around £500. On a happier note, the seats would respond well to light refurbishment work, the wood is in good order and the instruments are all present and correct. The heater and fan work fine and the carpets are serviceable.

UNDER THE BONNET

Nothing appears to be amiss here. The car runs well with no smoking, oil pressure is good and the gearbox and suspension show no problems. All looks fine in the clean and leak-free engine bay, – all the wiring appears to be in good order and the brake and clutch reservoirs look like recent replacements. Fluids are up to the correct levels, there’s no rot or surface rust anywhere and the radiator looks to be in good order.

THE CCW VIEW

You could be forgiven for being mildly suspicious that all is too good to be true with this car, though the history file shows the purchase receipt but no evidence of recent work. The online MoT history looks good and the car, which is a Jaguar 420 in all but name and appears to have had one owner since 1971, is tested until September 2020. Headlining issues aside, this is a highly appealing classic at a more than reasonable asking price.

Nick Larkin