1957 Daimler Conquest Century New Dropped Coupe

Price – $70,000 – Make an Offer!

BK Auto Auctions Proudly presents this exceptionally well-restored example of a very rare 1957 Daimler Conquest Century New Dropped Coupe which is one of only 56 ever produced.

Until the early 1950’s, British carmaker Daimler Company, Limited was known primarily as the supplier of automobiles to the British royal family.  The Coventry, Warwickshire company’s conservative image changed greatly with the introduction of their Conquest model in the 1953 model year.

Powered by a 2,433cc inline six-cylinder engine, the initial Conquest model displaced 75 bhp and was available in a roadster body.  In 1954, Daimler engineers added a new aluminum cylinder head with larger valves and two carburetors to the existing powerplant and increased horsepower to 100 bhp.  This caused these models to be dubbed the Conquest Century and was available in three body styles—saloon, roadster or drophead coupe.  Production continued through the 1955 model year.

In 1956 the company introduced a new drophead coupe body design featuring a third side-facing rear seat located behind the driver and wind-up windows that replaced the previous model’s clip-on side curtains.  This design was designated as the New Drophead Coupe and was built in very limited numbers with the final unit coming out of the factory on May 16, 1957.  These were essentially hand-built cars with factory records indicating a total of 56 New Drophead Coupes were manufactured over the two-year production run.

This car bears chassis number 90550, engine number 73115 and body number DHC57.  Production records indicate this vehicle was completed on February 20, 1957 and was consigned to a French corporation (believed to be Daimler’s Paris distributor) on May 16 of that year.  While automotive historians have long tied chassis number 90550 to King Faisal of Iraq who assassinated in a 1958 coup, no documented evidence of this provenance exists to prove or disprove that claim.

It is believed this vehicle came to the United States sometime in the late 1950’s.  It was apparently originally manufactured for export as it has a water temperature gauge reading in Fahrenheit despite having a metric speedometer and right-hand drive.  The car was acquired in 2005 by Daimler expert Bob Boston of Atlanta and treated to a superb full restoration.

The yellow livery contrasting with the black leather interior and black top can best be described as stunning.  Overall the car has aged extremely well in the years since restoration and the brightwork remains in excellent condition.  Wide whitewall tires provide a look not commonly found on most British vehicles of this era.  The car has the proper Century aluminum head and renowned Daimler fluid flywheel, along with the highly desired Wilson preselector four-speed gearbox.  Options include a heater and a dash-mounted clock.

The current owner has been in possession of this vehicle since 2015.  This extremely rare Daimler has been housed in a humidity-controlled environment since that time.  Very few of these vehicles were built and even fewer made their way to the United States.  This car should be a welcome addition to any collector’s portfolio and would make a great cornerstone piece for the person who is just starting to invest in classic vehicles.

Price – $70,000 – Make an Offer!