Just a year before the company’s takeover by Jaguar, Daimler caused a stir at the 1959 New York Motor Show when it unveiled the SP250 – a brand new V8-engined, glassfibre-bodied sports car. The tail-finned and slightly awkward looking two-seater was an unusual move for a manufacturer best known for its upmarket saloons and limousines, but Daimler seemed confident of success.
You’ll often hear the SP250 referred to as the Dart – this was the car’s intended name at the time it made its American debut, but Chrysler’s Dodge division owned the trademark for the “Dart” model name, and ordered Daimler to change the name under threat of legal action. Nevertheless, it’s a name that has tended to stick with the car.
Although its sports car focus was understandably on the new E-Type, Jaguar didn’t neglect the SP250 it had inherited. April 1961 saw a revised version – known as the B-Spec – bringing many important upgrades, mostly to reduce the original’s rather concerning chassis flex. Modifications included a three-piece hoop under the dashboard, connected through the A-posts to the sill beams, which strengthened the
