1961 Daimler Majestic |

Closed Auction- Unsold

1961 Daimler Majestic

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Mileage~49,547
TransmissionAutomatic
Engine3.8L
LocationLeighton Buzzard

AUCTION CLOSED

1961 Daimler Majestic

Introduction

Andrew Taylor

Professional Consigner

Majestic by name and majestic by nature, this car conjures up memories of gentler times when Daimler customers were after something a little less cops and robbers than the Jaguar equivalents.

Despite its styling, which harked back to Daimler's preference for a massive cruciform-braced box-section chassis established in the 1930's, the Majestic featured some very contemporary features. The Majestic was the first saloon car, devoid of any sporting pretensions, to feature four-wheel Lockheed-servo-assisted Dunlop disc brakes. The three-speed Borg and Warner automatic gearbox and power-assisted steering were firmly "premium" features at launch in 1958. It was no surprise then, that the Majestic was a full £500 (nearly £10,000 in today's money) more than the equivalent Jaguar MK IV at launch. That was just how Daimler owners liked it too!

It was inside, however, that the sizable extra cost was most obvious. The use of leather, walnut and chrome was almost conspicuous but made the Majestic a very special place to sit, and it still does. This particular car coming to market has a beautifully patinated interior which will definitely transport you to a bygone era. The car will make for a great winter project for the discerning enthusiast.

This auction listing was written from information supplied by Andrew after meeting Andrius the owner, and having visited and photographed the vehicle.

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Secure Auctions

We verify all our sellers and buyers to keep our community safe whilst also providing the highest levels of website security.

Full Transparency

8 out of 10 people that buy cars via our service don’t feel the need to visit due to the transparency and thoroughness of our listings.

Vehicle Delivery

We're there every step of your buying journey and will even arrange pick-up and delivery of your new vehicle.

Meet the owner

I bought this car with the full intention of bringing it back to its former glory. Due to other commitments however, I would love to see a new owner do exactly that.

Andrius knows his cars. He works as an engine and gearbox specialist so he chose carefully when looking for the archetypal British luxury saloon from the late 1950's and early 1960's. "I thought it would make a great, interesting classic to use at weekend and for shows. It has great bones and I think it could easily become a real head-turner once again".

Increasing business and family commitments means that Andrius is now looking for a like minded new owner to take on the Majestic project. He'll be happy to answer any questions on the car in the comments section below.

Andrius

Vehicle Owner

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Exterior
Interior
Mechanics
History
All Images

EXTERIOR VIDEO

Exterior

A first glance of this Majestic might prompt one to raise an eyebrow but on closer inspection there is a lot to like here. A quintessential good bones project car.

Wheels and Tyres

Each original steel wheel features the distinctive Daimler hubcap, proudly inscribed with "The Daimler Company Limited Coventry". Like many aspects of the car the wheels and caps are very original and in deceptively good condition. It wouldn't take much elbow grease to bring these up to a very presentable standard opinion. If a fuller project is penchant, however, these could certainly be repainted and re-chromed with a moderate amount of preparation.

The period correct, high profile cross ply tyres look to be in reasonable condition but a more modern equivalent may provide an extra degree of wet road safety.

Bodywork

What strikes you about the bodywork of this Daimler Majestic is the solidity of build and apparent lack of any significant rust, just usual areas on cars of this era like the bottoms of doors. We are unaware of much of the history of the car but it certainly looks like the car has been dry stored for many years.

Inevitably there are marks and minor dings given its age, however, close inspection reveals a seemingly very solid, and certainly well built, saloon car.

Paint

As can be seen from our comprehensive photography package, the paintwork of this car appears to be in a highly original condition. There are no signs of any later paintwork having been undertaken.

Clearly a professional respray of this car would transform it and create a very rare, usable and imposing classic saloon indeed. Please study our photographs and you will see various areas of significant paint wear, chipping and cracking.

Glass and Trim

The glass and trim on this Daimler appears to be in surprisingly good condition. The glass appears to be original and windows all open and close. There are also no obvious signs of delamination, fogging or decolouration.

Likewise the light lenses appear to be the original fit Lucas items and all perfectly serviceable. The brightwork across the car will of course be one of the areas that would be attended to as part of the restoration.

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INTERIOR VIDEO

Interior

The leather and walnut interior with period touches of Bakelite is full of class.

Seats and Carpets

Always the trump card of the Majestic, not much has changed with this example. The deep red leather seats have acquired a dignified patina that can't be replicated. They appear unripped and in very fine, age appropriate condition.

The carpets have discoloured in places and there is significant wear to the drivers heel pad. That said we believe these carpets could easily be significantly improved by a specialist classic car upholsterer.

Dashboard

The extensive use of walnut is another signature feature of the majestic and the dashboard is swathed in it. The condition of the varnish and underlying wood appear in very good original condition.

The range of gauges, dials and switches is endearingly extensive and everything worked as expected as far as we could tell. The fuel gauge needle does "pulse" a little which isn't unusual for a car of this period.

Steering Wheel / Gear Stick

The steering wheel is a delightful Bakelite and chrome design and presents in very good condition. The automatic gearbox gear lever is a small, column mounted affair which is again, chrome and Bakelite in construction. The lever operates in a highly damped fashion yet effectively selects all gears as required.

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'ON THE ROAD' VIDEO

Mechanics

The 3.8 litre straight six engine jumps into life on the first turn of the key, from then on it runs with a silky smooth demeanour entirely in keeping with the character of the Majestic.

Engine and Gearbox

As you will see from our cold start video the car starts very well indeed and ticks over smoothly and quietly. Although we were unable to undertake our usual "On the Road" video due to the owner being called away, we were able to gently drive the car around some gravelled farm tracks. From this we can confirm that the engine seems to pull cleanly and strongly from low revs. Each of the three gears, plus reverse, seemed to engage smoothly and operate as they should, at least at low speed.

Suspension and Brakes

The current owner was quick to point out some issues with the brakes. During our short drive we found that pedal pressure could be "pumped up" at which point the brakes worked somewhat lazily. On releasing the pedal, however, brake pedal pressure diminished quickly again. We would certainly recommend that the brakes are professionally overhauled before venturing onto public roads in the Majestic.

During our drive around farm tracks the suspension proved surprisingly compliant and exhibited no unexpected clonks or bangs.

The Drive

With some professional attention this car could become a rare and unusual example from a watershed period in luxury British luxury car manufacture. There is so much that is solid and original about this car that we believe it certainly deserves the chance to become again what it once was. Majestic!

Electrics and Other

In common with cars of this period there is very little in the way of electrical systems to test. The gauges and lights appeared to work well during our brief test. The delightful period Radiomobile long and medium wave radio is thought to work, although suspected operator error prevented us to confirming this on the day of our visit.

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History and Paperwork

Given its age we believe this car to be a Historic Vehicle and, as such, tax and MOT exempt. A solid base from which to work on, this car could be an ideal winter project.

The paperwork available with this car comprises only the V5 document. No MOT or service history is available.

We’ve done all our usual seller checks including photo ID, V5 and also actioned a HPi check on the vehicle.

We've summarised our own view on the car based on information gained from the seller in the listing above, however, and as you can see, we go to great lengths to photograph and video the car in hi-resolution detail - this has been done for you to make your own assessment from the comfort of your sofa. So please sit back, have a cuppa and take your time to review everything on this listing in order to make your own assessment on the vehicle's condition. Viewings are also welcomed with all our listings, so please get in touch with us to arrange a suitable time - we just need to speak to you first and receive a valid photo ID before confirming.

If there's anything you're unsure about, no matter how small, then please first ask the owner in the comments area below before placing your bid/s, as bids can't be retracted and form a binding contract if you win the car - just like a traditional auction house.

Key Details

ModelMajestic
TransmissionAutomatic
Reg. Date1961
CC3,794
Mileage~49,547
HistoryNone
ColourSilver / black
Interior ColourBurgundy
Interior TrimLeather and walnut
Chassis #99764
Engine #92480
MOTNo
MOT ExemptYes
Road Tax ExemptYes
HPi ClearYes
Former Keepers1
Tyre TreadGood
# of Keys1
BrakesPoor
LHD or RHDRHD
VisitedYes
Sale TypePrivate
Owned3 years
Key FeatureHighly original

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All Images

History and Paperwork

All Videos

Vehicle Location

Leighton Buzzard, Buckinghamshire

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Seller : Andrius T

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Vehicle Location

Leighton Buzzard, Buckinghamshire

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