I’m going to guess that most people would be unable to come up with the name of the oldest British automaker, but according to several reference sources, the answer is Daimler. To jog some memories, Daimler built elegant cars, many of them for the Royal Family — and for several decades (until Rolls-Royce took over). If you look at old photos of the Royals, those angular limousines that they’re shown in are often Daimlers, though they’re usually mistakenly identified as Rolls-Royce cars.
But before we even get into the history of the brand, let me explain that Daimler is pronounced “Damm-ler” among the English. The name is related to the German firm Daimler-Benz (maker of Mercedes-Benz vehicles), although in Germany, it’s pronounced “Dime-ler.” Somewhere around 1888, British entrepreneur Frederick Simms purchased the rights
