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DJ254

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Keith Ashworth
Posts: 72
Joined: Fri Feb 19, 2016 2:23 am
Location: Melbourne Australia

DJ254

Post by Keith Ashworth »

Hi Chaps,
I have just purchased a superb roadster chassis 90473.
Although this chassis is in the book it shows it with engine number 72992 when in fact it has engine 72977 and body number 029. Also the book shows only one roadster in Australia which I presume is Tom Saggers as it is shown on the cover, in fact two came to Australia, one a white one which is now in New Zealand and my car which was delivered new to Sydney and featured on the cover of Modern Motor magazine in February 1955.
I have sent an email to Harold Wilson but have not heard from him and I wonder if perhaps Dennis can shed some light.
Keith

Salmons
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Posts: 438
Joined: Thu Feb 11, 2016 7:56 am
Location: Sherringham

Re: DJ254

Post by Salmons »

I am glad that you have got this car Keith.

The Daimler build records are held at the Jaguar Heritage Trust at Gaydon. I was given permission to visit and see the build record which is in a scruffy handwritten note book.

I was not allowed to take photographs of the pages and Gaydon would not do photocopies in case this damaged the originals. I had to copy everything by hand and visited the library at Gaydon four times double checking my notes. I had the engine number of your car down as 72977 but on my last visit to double check everything I changed it to 72992. The original is not very clear so i could have made a mistake.

When I wrote the book I knew that the body number was 29 but Gaydon Heritage Trust refused to allow me to publish any details that I or Harold did not already have. The reason being to stop cloning of cars , I objected but was told that I would be banned from the library for life if I did publish. I did point out that at 78 this was not much of a threat! But in the event I complied.

Other details that I was not allowed to include in the book were that the car was not dispatched from the works until 16th September 1954. The name to whom it was dispatched looked like Levetus.

Dennis

Keith Ashworth
Posts: 72
Joined: Fri Feb 19, 2016 2:23 am
Location: Melbourne Australia

Re: DJ254

Post by Keith Ashworth »

Hi Dennis,
Thank you for your prompt reply.
I wondered where the records came from as I thought they could have been from Carbodies.
The dealers in Sydney at that time were Hercules Motors, so perhaps that was the name you had trouble with. The Melbourne distributors were Jouberts British Motors.
The Melbourne car was sold to Tasmania in the seventies I believe and was then purchased in the early nineties by Ian Hill from Auckland New Zealand. As far as I know it is still in an unrestored state and as Ian is now in his eighties I suspect it won't get finished until it goes to a new home. I did see it in bare metal last time I visited in the late nineties.In your book you have one roadster in NZ so I suppose that is the one.
My car has been repainted in bronze, but still retains the light blue trim. I think the body was originally silver but I'd be interested to find out if the blue trim had contrasting piping, as the seats have been redone in plain blue. I am considering changing the interior to a colour more sympathetic to the body colour and adding the piping.
I will keep you advised of any changes.
Cheers
Keith

Salmons
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Posts: 438
Joined: Thu Feb 11, 2016 7:56 am
Location: Sherringham

Re: DJ254

Post by Salmons »

Most of my information re cars in Australia and New Zealand came from Richard Bowen and also from people that bought the book.
The following are the roadsters that I have in the Register.

CHASSIS ENGINE REGISTRATION YEAR BODY NO. COLOUR
90472 72986 - 1953 - grey over red, with grey trim
Owner John Rademaker, New Zealand


90473 72977 1954 mink with pale blue trim
Owner Scott Moncrieff, Castle Hill NSW then Jimmy Horne
Condition mechanically good, body fair (2005) body superb (2006)


90484 73006 041
Owner Ian Hill, New Zealand, was formerly in Melbourne, Victoria

90491 73003
Owner Tom Saggers

Dennis

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