Lot Ended
Description
Just four owners, the current for 22 years; engine rebuilt
by Russ Carpenter; gearbox rebuilt; various choice upgrades; quality
repaint and retrim; lots of bills for upkeep; long MOT; a really super B-Spec
Dart that was driven to the sale
Launched at the
1959 New York Auto Show, the Daimler SP250 (now universally known as the Dart
although Dodge threatened legal action over the name at the time) is one of
Britain's most distinctive classic sports cars.
Built to target the American market, the roadster paired a
lightweight, swooping fibreglass body with a gem of an engine: a 2.5-litre
Edward Turner–designed V8. Pushing out 140bhp through twin SU carburettors, it
could sprint past 120mph – performance so punchy that UK police famously
deployed SP250s as motorway patrol cars to catch speeders. Despite divisive
styling and initial manufacturing quirks, its intoxicating exhaust note and
power-to-weight ratio cemented its cult status.
The initial 1959 models (retrospectively called A-Spec) suffered from
a serious engineering oversight. Daimler had mounted the lightweight body onto a
flexible, TR3-derived ladder frame chassis. Cornering hard caused the frame to
twist so severely that the doors would literally pop open mid-turn.
When Jaguar acquired Daimler in 1960, Sir
William Lyons and his engineering team immediately set out to fix the SP250's
structural flaws. Introduced in April 1961, the B-Spec version improved the
chassis by adding two longitudinal steel outriggers running along the sides
between the axles to stiffen the ladder frame along with a heavy duty A-pillar
inside the scuttle to prevent upper-body flex plus B-post bracing which added
structural reinforcement around the door apertures.
Beyond curing the door-popping flex, the B-Spec added an adjustable
steering column, standard full-width bumpers, and stronger rear axles. These
fixes transformed the Dart into a significantly safer, stiffer and far
better-handling driver's car.
First registered in
June 1961, this B-Spec Dart has had just four owners from new, our vendor
acquiring the car in early 2004 from a retired engineer who had owned the car
since 1999. Correspondence and invoices on file show that the engine was rebuilt
by Russ Carpenter in June 2002 at a cost of £2,700 when the car was showing
11,947 miles on the clock. Russ also overhauled the brakes, the fuelling system,
the electrics and various other things at the same time which cost a further
£1,405 (see photos).
The car was then driven to
Javea in southern Spain where it remained until our vendor acquired it two years
later. Although the car was in excellent shape mechanically, the paintwork was
rather tired, so in July 2000 it was treated to a professional repaint in the
current metallic British Racing Green which suits the car beautifully. It also
got new headlights at the same time and the bumpers were rechromed in
2004.
The front seats were also professionally
retrimmed in 2004 using top quality Ingleston red hide supplied by Andrew
Muirhead & Son of Scotland, the seat foams also being replaced.
There are
lots of invoices for servicing and upgrades, including a reconditioned gearbox
in October 2014 (at 30k miles) by Overdrive Repair Services of Sheffield which
cost £906. The front suspension and steering received attention in March
2016 to address some MOT failure points and advisories. New front shock
absorbers were fitted in 2008 along with hydraulic cylinder rear dampers in
place of the original Armstrong damper units. An additional rear torsion bar has
also been fitted to further improve the handling.
In 2006 the steering was converted from the notoriously heavy
cam-and-peg box to a lighter worm-and-roller setup. A new cluch kit was also
fitted at around the same time.
Other features
include a stainless steel exhaust system which has a wonderful V8 burble,
inertia reel seat belts mounted to specially fabricated steel reinforcing
plates, uprated Facet electric fuel pump and uprated electric thermostat
cooling, Mota-Lita steering wheel and painted wire
wheels.
Always in regular use in the
current 22-year ownership, 14 old MOTs show that the Dart has covered
some 20,000 miles since the engine was rebuilt, although it has been very
lightly used in recent years due to the advancing years of the owner. Sundry
useful spares are included along with an original owner’s handbook, accessories
manual and factory workshop manual.
Although it
no longer needs one, it has an MOT until June 2027 with just a couple of minor
advisories relating to the front suspension and slight play in the n/s/f wheel
bearing.
Driven some 40 miles to the sale on a
swelteringly hot day without drama, it has been starting promptly and running
sweetly as we have moved it around on site, with healthy 50psi oil pressure.
As you can see in the photos, this Dart looks
very pretty indeed with some choice upgrades to enhance the driving experience.
On offer here at a modest guide, it will be a fine way to scoot around the lanes
in the remaining summer months ahead of us.
Consigned by James Dennison – 07970 309907 – james.dennison@brightwells.com