Daimler Conquest .
Photographed in the winter of 1969 is this Daimler Conquest four door saloon, parked alongside what looks like a BMC 1800. The registration is PDA 616, and it looks to be in fairly standard fettle, bar flashing indicator lamps fitted beneath the sidelights, and on the rear wings.
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The Conquest first went on sale in 1953 as a replacement for the old-style Consort. It was based on the Lanchester Leda chassis and running gear, but with a very Daimler-esque air to it, thanks mainly to the traditional chrome grille up front. The price for the Conquest at launch was 1066 GBP. Performance from the new Daimler was respectable, without being electrifying, buyers being tempted by the sumptuous interior and stately demeanour of the Conquest, rather than any ability to shred tarmac.
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In 1954 a higher performance version was offered though, namely the Conquest Century, offering 100bhp and a maximum speed of around 100 also. 1954 would also be the year that car-hungry buyers could put their name down for the rakish Conquest Roadster, although few actually chose this option as it turned out. More successful was the Conquest Century Drophead Coupe, although production was still in the low hundreds by the time the axe fell on the range. The final Daimler Conquest saloon was built in 1956, the final car of all, a Mk2 Drophead Coupe, being assembled the following year. In 1960 the Daimler marque would be taken over by Jaguar Cars Ltd.
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Although not a common sight at most classic car shows, pre-Jaguar Daimlers do have an enthusiastic following, aided no doubt by clubs such as the Daimler Enthusiasts' Club and the Daimler & Lanchester Owners' Club, both no doubt handy if you need help or advice on restoring the unusual pre-selector transmission and fluid flywheel found in most Conquests. The Daimler Conquest parts page here at oldclassiccar may also be of use to owners running one of these cars.
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