A Brief history of Daimler
Daimler is a well-known motoring marque whose name can be traced back to the German engineer Gottlieb Daimler who along with Karl Benz set the foundations for what would become Mercedes-Benz. Gottlieb Daimler patented an engine in the late nineteenth century and over the next few years developed his company to manufacture cars, the designs and patents were then sold on to a company in Coventry that also had the right to use the name the Daimler Motor Syndicate, this was later changed to the Daimler Motor Company.
From the off, Daimler produced luxury cars and every monarch from Edward VII to Queen Elizabeth II have used Daimler cars as one of their prefered modes of transport, although after an engine failure in the kings car in 1950 the Daimler has been moved to second choice behind Rolls-Royce.
Daimler struggled to adjust after the war years and were regarded by many as being far too luxurious and expensive for the people of post war britain, this was further compounded by the move of the monarch from Daimler to Rolls-Royce and as a result in 1960 Jaguar aquired the Daimler name. Production of the existing models was continued for a few years but after 1968 all Daimler cars were now being designed by Jaguar.
Daimlers fortunes changed once again when Jaguar became part of the British Motor Corporation and for a period became the second biggest double decker bus manufacturer in Britain behind British Leyland, they also manufactured lorries and motorhomes. Jaguar continued to use the Daimler name to distinguish its top of the range XJ models. This continued up until 2002 when Jaguar dropped the Daimler name from its top models, then after a brief absence Daimler returned in the form of the Super Eight, returning to its luxurious roots, the Super Eight is now the favourite form of transportation for many diplomats, politicians and ambassadors the world over.
