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This 1940s Daimler Barn Find Used To Be a Royal Limo, Sees Daylight After 32 Years

Established in 1896, Daimler is known for the fancied-up Jaguars it produced from 1960 to the late 2000s. But the British firm also built a range of luxury cars and even ran a bus division until the 1970s. More importantly, Daimler was awarded a Royal Warrant to provide cars to the British monarch in 1902, a privilege it held until the 1950s.
Daimler DE 27 8 photos
Photo: Curiosity Incorporated/YouTube
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By 1914, Daimlers were used by many European royal families, including those in Great Britain, Germany, Russia, Spain, and Greece. King George V of England, for instance, used a Daimler 57 HP, a car that was just as luxurious as a Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost of the era.

This Daimler DE 27 from the 1940s may not be as old and valuable, but it was also used to transport members of the British royal family. And it just came out of storage after 32 years.

And don't let the white paint fool you, this Daimler shows traces of the maroon hue that has been gracing royal cars since the early 1900s. Why is it painted white, you ask? Well, once it retired from royal duty, this Daimler became a wedding car.

And the story goes that it was put into storage sometime in 1990 after the wind damaged the driver's door. It was still running when it was parked in a warehouse and it didn't come out until 2022, a whopping 32 years later.

Saved by YouTube's "Curiosity Incorporated," the Daimler appears to be in excellent condition. Yes, the driver's door needs to be fixed, but other than that, it's pretty much road-worthy. And even though there is some bubbling in the paint, there are no rust spots to worry about.

But does it still run? Well, the old inline-six mill doesn't fire up after more than three decades of sitting, but the owner manages to get it running for a little bit. There's still a long way to go, but this Daimler shows great potential. Sure, it would be great to see it restored in its original royal livery, but it's not half-bad as it is either.

If you're not familiar with the Daimler DE, it was produced from 1946 to 1953 in Coventry, England. Daimler offered two versions. The DE 27, like the one shown here, was powered by an inline-six engine, while the DE 36 was a more expensive variant with an inline-eight mill.

An overhead-valve design, the 4.1-liter inline-six was rated at 110 horsepower and 190 pound-feet (260 m) of torque. The DE was replaced by the Daimler DK400 in 1954.

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About the author: Ciprian Florea
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Ask Ciprian about cars and he'll reveal an obsession with classics and an annoyance with modern design cues. Read his articles and you'll understand why his ideal SUV is the 1969 Chevrolet K5 Blazer.
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