I May Be Going to the REAL Dark Side!

tony barnhill · Sep 11, 2006

Yep, red 1961 Daimler Dart SP250....one owner (well, the son of the original owner has it stored in his basement)...says if we air the tires we can drive it onto my trailer....no wires - the original full wheel hubcaps! Friend of mine found it for me & told guy, "I know someone who would want this car. He likes to hit his thumb with a hammer!"

Called me & said, "If you can answer this question, I've a prize for you. What was the ugliest car ever made in England?" When I answered Daimler SP250 Dart, he told me about the car....more info is on way to me now...trip is being planned to go see/get it!

kennypinkerton · Sep 11, 2006

I'da answered wrong with TVR 250i or TR7/8. Very cool though!!!!

sammyb · Sep 11, 2006

I agree it is one of the ugliest cars from England. I've always considered it the "British Studepackard Hawk." That being said, it's still a car one should jump at should they have the opportunity to buy one. Sure it's slower than a V8 should be, and handles like it has Jello for a suspension, but it's a rare bird and something about all of its shortcomings just makes you smile and feel happy. Plus, given the general asking prices, you can feel confident that you'll never lose money driving one (as the values of British V8 powered roadsters continue to climb.)

Go for it!

Randi · Sep 11, 2006

I love it!! Randi

Mickey Richaud · Sep 11, 2006

Maybe it's just me, but I can't get "The Incredible Mr. Limpet" out of my head when I see one of those. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/jester.gif

Just kidding! To me, any rare bird is worth having, and this one certainly qualifies.

Mickey

tony barnhill · Sep 11, 2006

Well, when the owner contacts me, I'll schedula a trip - with trailer - & a pocketfull of cash! If its as my friend described - I'll just pay the asking price!

swift6 · Sep 12, 2006

Plus you could annoy the Dodge/Chrysler boys and tell them you have a 'Hemi' too. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cheers.gif

tony barnhill · Sep 12, 2006

Just got off the phone with my friend - he's sending me 15 photos via email tonight when he gets back home (Orlando)....but we were able to talk without his friend in the background...car sounds even better today...

Steve · Sep 12, 2006

Tony, you are going to love this car! I hope that it's all that you expect it to be. Wonderful little V-8!

tony barnhill · Sep 12, 2006

I'm beginning to get a little excited about the prospect (& haven't done that in a long time!)...can hardly wait until tonight when my friend emails me the photos...I didn't know that only 2,648 SP250’s were built! This is a bit of a rare car!

Edward Turner, who previously worked for Triumph motorcycles, designed an all new 2.5 litre, hemispheric-combustion chambered, overhead valve V8 engine, with twin SU carburettors which was influenced by an earlier Triumph motorcycle design.....can you say "HEMI"?

The SP250’s chassis bears similarities to the Triumph TR3A; it’s front coil springs and A-arms are the same as the Triumph's, and the four-speed manual transmission is similar.

Since this one is a '61, that makes it the "B" model. Can you see I'm learning all about it?

sammyb · Sep 12, 2006

Is it the 4spd or automatic? (The automatics are extremely sluggish.)

It is definitely a lower production model.

I once did an alysis of all the British production V8 roadsters. It was surprising how few there were. Morgan +8, TVR (not available in the states,)TR8, AC Cobra, Allard, Daimler SP-250...and a couple more I can't think of after a day of shuttling my kids around.

tony barnhill · Sep 12, 2006

4-speed so far as I know..I've made tentative plans to go up Thursday morning.....photos should arrive tonight.

coldplugs · Sep 12, 2006

If the sound of that engine is any indication, it'll be great fun.

AngliaGT · Sep 12, 2006

We used to have one here in town,
owned by a high school teacher.
He sold it quite a while back.
Amazing what turns up around here.

- Doug

swift6 · Sep 13, 2006

[ QUOTE ]
I once did an alysis of all the British production V8 roadsters. It was surprising how few there were. Morgan +8, TVR (not available in the states,)TR8, AC Cobra, Allard, Daimler SP-250...and a couple more I can't think of after a day of shuttling my kids around.

[/ QUOTE ]

The Tiger is one that pops into my head initally of the forgotten. There was a V8 TVR available in the US, though I guess it wasn't a roadster and out of curiosity, did you seperate the Shelby/AC Cobras from the AC Cobras in your analysis? There are differences between them. Since the Shelby/AC Cobras were 'produced/assembled' in California I don't think they would qualify as British production.

tony barnhill · Sep 13, 2006

[ QUOTE ]
There was a V8 TVR available in the US, though I guess it wasn't a roadster

[/ QUOTE ]

Better not tell Mickey! He has one.

Mickey Richaud · Sep 13, 2006

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
There was a V8 TVR available in the US, though I guess it wasn't a roadster

[/ QUOTE ]

Better not tell Mickey! He has one.

[/ QUOTE ]

That's T V R, Tony; Mine's a TR. But I'd like one of those, too!

Mickey

gsalt57tr3 · Sep 13, 2006

When I was growing up, there was one of these down the street. Until I recently aquired my own LBC, I had seen a total of 5 of these for my whole life (Im 53).

I always thought they were the coolest car around. I once had a Standard Vanguard, and in doing my research on it, found that it was considered higher on the list of ugly cars than the sp-250 Dart was.

Good luck and hold on tight!

sammyb · Sep 13, 2006

I found my old analysis of V8 roadsters available for import -- this does not include modern cars like the Jag XK8.

Factory-built British two-seat V8 roadsters:
TR8s 2497
AC/Shelby Cobra 1002
Sunbeam Tiger 7067
Daimler SP250 2465
Morgan +8s about 4000 total 1968 to date
Allards 517
and TVRs 55 factory, plus roughly 200 American-produced Griffiths

tony barnhill · Sep 13, 2006

Well, I have photos of the car - am pulling out around 6am tomorrow morning - straight up I-65 through Louisville, KY....if I don't stop at the Corvette Museum, I hope to get through Louisville for parts northeast before noon.

Car looks pretty good - top, interior, carpet looks pretty new - body looks like original paint - all chrome is there to include the hubcaps - engine compartment looks all original & engine appears to have been redone at some point...just looks like its been sitting for 12 years!

I'm concerned about the frame - other than that, everything else looks good.

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I May Be Going to the REAL Dark Side!

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