Daimler SP250 Dart (1959 - 1964)

Introduction

The Daimler SP250 Dart is one of those sad victims of model range rationalisation following company mergers - in this case, the agreeably eccentric sports car was dropped by Daimler to lessen any chance of internal competition from new-owner Jaguar's E-type. And what makes it a shame is that the SP250 was a great car to drive, powered by a brilliant V8, and in reality it would have proved little threat to the more glamourous and mainstream E-type.

The SP250 was the final all-new sports car to be offered by Daimler, and easily the most interesting of them all. With its glass fibre body and 2.5-litre Turner V8 engine, the SP250 was quick and agile. It was originally called ‘Dart’, but Chrysler forced Daimler to drop the name - but the name has stuck anyway.

It was far from perfect, though – the glass fibre used to crack, and the handling wasn’t as good as it should have been – but all of these problems can be solved now thanks to the appliance of modern technology. Numbers are low, and that helps keep values up.