Daimler Regency

The Daimler Regency series was a luxury car made in Coventry by The Daimler Company Limited between 1951 and 1958. Only an estimated 49 examples of the three-litre Regency chassis were made because demand for new cars collapsed just weeks after its introduction. Almost three years later in October 1954, a lengthened more powerful Regency Mark II (DF304) was announced but, in turn, after a production run of 345 cars, it was replaced by the very much faster, up-rated One-O-Four (DF310), announced in October 1955.

Regency DF300/1

Displayed to the press on 26 September and the following week at the Paris Motor Show, it was first shown to the British public at the October 1951 Motor Show.[2] The DF300 model designation was used for right-hand drive and DF301 for left-hand drive. The chassis included a number of new developments from the Daimler Consort which was still in production. The engine was moved well forward, the ground clearance increased by one inch and the chassis side members lowered. It was fitted with a new three-litre six-cylinder engine derived from the four-cylinder two-litre engine in the production Lanchester Fourteen. Twin SU carburettors were fitted to give 90 bhp at 4,100 rpm.

The shape of the standard Barker saloon body closely resembled the much smaller Lanchester Fourteen, except that the headlights were fitted into the mudguards in the same position as the Daimler Consort.

Regency Mark II DF304/5

The revised Regency DF304 labelled Mark II was announced in October 1954. Left-hand-drive cars used the DF305 designation. The new more flowing body was slightly longer with a much longer boot and mudguards and was lower-set. It could now be purchased with a 3½-litre or 4½-litre engine. Again there was a Hooper version, the Empress IIa and III but now also the Sportsman four-light saloon with coachwork by Mulliners (Birmingham).[8] The (at first only) 4½-litre Sportsman with three-piece wrap-around rear window and extra interior luxury features was announced a few days later[9]

The revised chassis was again made of box section steel and was cruciform braced. The side members rose over the rear axle and were not underslung like the Consort. The suspension was independent at the front using coil springs but retained traditional leaf springs and live axle at the rear. Automatic chassis lubrication continued to be fitted, operating "thermostatically every time the engine warm(ed) up", and the propeller-shaft centre bearing was "prepacked with grease" so did not require lubrication.[11] However, the propeller shaft itself was not served by the system and four grease points required "attention every 1,000 miles".[11] Marles worm and double roller steering was used.[12] Brakes were Girling hydro-mechanical – hydraulic at front, mechanical to the rear – as was standard Daimler practice at that time on the Consort, Conquest and Lanchester Fourteen.

Introductory pricing including tax: 3½-litre / 4½-litre engine

Regency Mark II saloon: £2,324 / £2,778 with the new Tubeless Tyres fitted as standard equipment

Regency Sportsman saloon: £2,650 / £3,104[10]

4½-litre chassis

These examples had a chassis designation of DF400 (DF401 for LHD). The 4½-litre engine was offered as an option on the Regency Mark II chassis, but very few were fitted. The car differed from the 3½-litre DF304 in that a four-speed pre-selector gearbox was fitted with direct drive in 3rd gear and an overdrive fourth gear. In addition, the DF304's Girling hydro-mechanical brakes were replaced with a fully hydraulic system with vacuum assist. After an engine upgrade from 127 to 167 bhp in 1956, the increased torque proved to be too much for the pre-selector gearboxes, so very few 4½-litre cars survived. Plans for deliveries of further 4½-litre chassis were cancelled and most existing cars were recalled and converted to 3½-litre engines. Ultimately, the 4½-litre engine was restricted to the DK400 chassis.[13]

Performance

The British Motor magazine tested a 3468 cc Regency II saloon in 1955 recording a top speed of 82.8 mph and acceleration from 0-60 mph in 22.7 seconds and a fuel consumption of 15.7 mpgimp. The test car cost £2324 including taxes.[12]

manufacturer	The Daimler Company Limited
production	1951–1958
assembly	United Kingdom: Coventry, England
class	Luxury
body style	Four-door saloon bodies by Barker or Empress body by Hooper or Special Sports DF302 convertible by Barker
engine	2952, 3468 or 4617 cc inline six-cylinder
transmission	4-speed preselector gearbox with fluid flywheel (all models 1951-58) or optional automatic gearbox (One-O-Four 1956-58)
length	195 in
width	70 in
height	62.5 in
weight	2000 kg
wheelbase	114 in
predecessor	Daimler Consort (1949–53)
successor	Daimler Majestic (1958–62)
sp	uk

Regency DF300/1

DF300/1 chassis numbers

DF302/3 – Empress Mk IIs and Coupes

Chassis numbers

Regency Mark II DF304/5

4½-litre chassis

Performance

Commercial

Daimler One-O-Four

Chassis numbers

One-O-Four Upgrades

External links

References

Chassis numbers

Replacing the Mark II