Peter Holland’s Daimler ‘New Drophead’ Coupe graces the streets of Adelaide the most English of Australian cities, and wherever we go, the car turns heads. One observer thought it must owe its heritage to an Italian design house. Another would risk his wage on the fact that it would be a forerunner of the XK series.
But Peter and his wife Ros are proud of the fact that this is a Daimler and not just because of the car’s good looks. Their car was the very first production New Drophead to leave the factory and has been in Peter’s family, restored and cherished, over the last 56 years of the car’s life and this adds even more flavour to the story. Icing on the cake can be seen when Peter smiles and points to the registration number, 90 500. “That’s the chassis number, Richard.”
Peter Holland has done his research on his unique Daimler and I have to admit that while I appreciated Daimler made fine cars starting just before the turn of the century in 1900, I didn’t fully appreciate just how the Company’s cars enjoyed Royal patronage. And I did not know that the then Prince of Wales had placed an order for three Daimlers to be delivered direct to Buckingham Palace. It seems this patronage lasted until the 1950’s.
Daimler enjoyed successes making high quality cars mainly directed at business owners and those with a little extra spending money. Daimler was amalgamated with Birmingham Small Arms Company (BSA) in 1910 and success followed allowing them to take over the Lanchester Car Company in 1931. Lanchester had styling of their own and it influenced Daimler to a
