A Dignified Carriage For A Gentleman
Discussion
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/235353872205?hash=item3...
The beautiful Majestic Major , so much more exclusivity than a contemporary Silver Shadow and unlike the DS never devalued by being painted white and used as a Wedding Car . I always felt they were perpetually overshadowed by some of Lyons finest creations but what a wonderful machine that's stood the passage of time surprisingly well and this one I think is sublime
The beautiful Majestic Major , so much more exclusivity than a contemporary Silver Shadow and unlike the DS never devalued by being painted white and used as a Wedding Car . I always felt they were perpetually overshadowed by some of Lyons finest creations but what a wonderful machine that's stood the passage of time surprisingly well and this one I think is sublime
I think that had a pre selector gearbox like the old Daimler buses.
You selected the required gear then depressed the gear pedal, not a clutch pedal, down and up and it changed to that gear. You could then select but not engage next gear.
Drove one once took getting used to, unless you were a bus driver I suppose
You selected the required gear then depressed the gear pedal, not a clutch pedal, down and up and it changed to that gear. You could then select but not engage next gear.
Drove one once took getting used to, unless you were a bus driver I suppose
Mr Tidy said:
Lovely, complete with a 4.5 litre Turner designed V8 that Jaguar management buried thanks to their devotion to the XK engine. 
Jaguar made more than 17,000 Daimler V8 engines and invested in adapting the Mk2 Jaguar body to take them. It sold more than any previous Daimler saloon.
Wacky Racer said:
Mr Tidy said:
Lovely, complete with a 4.5 litre Turner designed V8 that Jaguar management buried thanks to their devotion to the XK engine.
Fun fact:-Edward Turner also designed The Ariel Square four and Triumph Bonneville motorcycle engines.
I think square 4s had some issues
Hardly a contemporary of the Shadow, the design dates from the 1950s.
Mercdriver said:
I think that had a pre selector gearbox like the old Daimler buses.
You selected the required gear then depressed the gear pedal, not a clutch pedal, down and up and it changed to that gear. You could then select but not engage next gear.
Drove one once took getting used to, unless you were a bus driver I suppose
The V8 only came with a slushbox, by the time it was introduced autos had been perfected so not much call for pre-selectors.You selected the required gear then depressed the gear pedal, not a clutch pedal, down and up and it changed to that gear. You could then select but not engage next gear.
Drove one once took getting used to, unless you were a bus driver I suppose
Mr Tidy said:
I know, but as Meatloaf said 2 out of 3 ain't bad!
I think square 4s had some issues
Mainly a lack of water cooling, even running the rear cylinders with increased piston/bore clearance won't let it be tuned much as they don't cool properly; fine for lumbering around towing a sidecar the size of a pantechnicon but not much else, especially with wobbly sliding pillar suspension.I think square 4s had some issues
Mercdriver said:
Oops you are correct, three speed auto, must have been an earlier Daimler, maybe even a lanchester so long ago!
More or less all prior to the Major had preselector either as an option to a manual or as standard; the Majestic which is the same car but with the big straight six and the smaller Conquest etc.
I love all sorts of classics, including ones whose styling could best be described as 'challenging' e.g. Bristol 412, but I just can't summon any love for these. I know they are properly quick by the standards of their time and I'm sure very comfortable, but the front and rear thirds of the car look they were designed by 2 guys who never met. To each their own I guess 
reddiesel said:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/235353872205?hash=item3...
The beautiful Majestic Major , so much more exclusivity than a contemporary Silver Shadow and unlike the DS never devalued by being painted white and used as a Wedding Car . I always felt they were perpetually overshadowed by some of Lyons finest creations but what a wonderful machine that's stood the passage of time surprisingly well and this one I think is sublime
Hate classified ads which turn out to be an auction sale elsewhere. The beautiful Majestic Major , so much more exclusivity than a contemporary Silver Shadow and unlike the DS never devalued by being painted white and used as a Wedding Car . I always felt they were perpetually overshadowed by some of Lyons finest creations but what a wonderful machine that's stood the passage of time surprisingly well and this one I think is sublime
AMGSee55 said:
I love all sorts of classics, including ones whose styling could best be described as 'challenging' e.g. Bristol 412, but I just can't summon any love for these. I know they are properly quick by the standards of their time and I'm sure very comfortable, but the front and rear thirds of the car look they were designed by 2 guys who never met. To each their own I guess
Boot designed by Chris Bangle?Wonderful car though.
AMGSee55 said:
I love all sorts of classics, including ones whose styling could best be described as 'challenging' e.g. Bristol 412, but I just can't summon any love for these. I know they are properly quick by the standards of their time and I'm sure very comfortable, but the front and rear thirds of the car look they were designed by 2 guys who never met. To each their own I guess
It's more or less a stretched Lanchester 14, which is a proper noddy car and became old fashioned quickly due to the speed at which car styling changed in that era; the Morris Minor was released a couple of years earlier in 1948, but more 'modern' cars were appearing at the same time, the Riley Pathfinder/Wolseley 6/90 in 1953, then the Rootes "Audax" cars like the 1956 Hillman Minx etc, the decade ending with cars like the BMC Pininfarina styled cars appeared from 1958 with the Austin A40 etc.GoodOlBoy said:
Mr Tidy said:
Lovely, complete with a 4.5 litre Turner designed V8 that Jaguar management buried thanks to their devotion to the XK engine.
Jaguar made more than 17,000 Daimler V8 engines and invested in adapting the Mk2 Jaguar body to take them. It sold more than any previous Daimler saloon.
hidetheelephants said:
It's more or less a stretched Lanchester 14, which is a proper noddy car and became old fashioned quickly due to the speed at which car styling changed in that era; the Morris Minor was released a couple of years earlier in 1948, but more 'modern' cars were appearing at the same time, the Riley Pathfinder/Wolseley 6/90 in 1953, etc.
I had a Riley 2.6 poor copy of pathfinder from BMC in the late 60’s. straight 6 engine with gear lever between drivers seat and door, popular with Riley. I had a column change standard vanguard before took a bit of getting used to.In the 90’s local garage had one advertised, ah memories I thought I might buy it. Oh dear dreadful to drive just showed how much cars had improved.
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