Daimler Double Six Reviews

German premium car makers form 5G Automotive Association with telecommunication giants to spearhead implementation of ‘Car-to-X’ communications technology.

The 1939 Daimler DB18 Drophead Coupe ace was used by the British Prime Minister during the 1944 and 1949 election campaigns and is expected to fetch up to $400,000 at auction at Brooklands on December 4.Owing to World War II, only eight of the proposed 23 DB18 Drophead Coupe aces due for 1939 were built, with four completely destroyed during the Blitz, a fifth so badly damaged it was scrapped and the whereabouts of two unknown.  Chassis 49531 remains the only discovered surviving 1939 model.After Churchill, the Daimler has been to the US, Germany, UK and was even owned by an Iranian Prince for a time.  German restorer E. Thiesen of Hamburg has spent $192,000 restoring the car with silver and black coachwork, three-position cabriolet hood, green leather seats, wooden dashboard and Jaeger instruments.Rolling off the production line in the same year motor racing ceased at Brooklands, the DB18 was capable of a top speed of 122km/h and a 0-80km/h acceleration time of 17.9 seconds.Although the DB18 has manual transmission, the car uses a four-speed Wilson Pre-selector gearbox in tandem with the Daimler Fluid Flywheel, allowing the driver to select the next available gear by hand before using the "change pedal" to shift gears.

It will be auctioned by RM Auctions at Monterey in California on August 13.  Because of its lineage and condition, the Queen's personal car is expected to fetch between $68,000 and $90,000. The royal household bought the long-wheelbase 5.3-litre V12 Daimler new in 1984 as the Queen's personal transport.  It has travelled just 65,000km. In keeping with its royal breeding it has several modifications specifically made for Her Majesty's use, including a special rear seat cushion so the Royal corgis could travel more securely and comfortably. Daimler also fitted a blue convoy light in front of the rearview mirror to enable security teams to identify the car more easily at night and to be more visible in the event of a security threat to the Queen. This light is also recognised by the gate security at both Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle.  A rear antenna mount is still fitted to the car, to which the radio communications package was fitted, allowing for a direct link to the Home Office and Downing Street. The foglights in front are wired to flash at regular intervals when the car was in official use.  The build of chassis No. 393721 was completed at the Jaguar factory in Coventry, England in 1984. The car then underwent extensive road testing by head engineers of the factory for about 4500km to iron out any bugs before it was shipped to Buckingham Palace.  Over the next three years, the Queen drove the Daimler as her own personal car. She would often be seen taking a spin around Windsor Estate and into and out of London to visit friends and family and travelled to church each Sunday in Windsor Great Park. The Queen is a keen driver, having served in the transport corps of the British Army during the World War II, driving ambulances, learning mechanical skills and even changing wheels on the vehicles herself. She also chauffeured other members of the Royal family, including the late Princess of Wales Princess Diana, Prince Charles, Prince William, The Queen Mother, Prince Philip, as well as friends and important dignitaries such as the then-Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. In 1990, the Daimler was replaced by the factory for another Daimler model.  However it was then used by several members of the family as well as Royal Security before being returned and kept at the factory in 1991.  It presents in superb condition and is said to drive like new.  At present it is registered to the Jaguar Heritage Museum Browns Lane at the factory. The registration number has been changed by Jaguar on its return to the factory for security purposes, although a set of registration number plates with the original Royal number, as used by the Queen, are included with the car, as are several photographs of Her Majesty driving it. All handbooks and documentation are complete, as are all tools and keys.  In fact, it has complete documentation from its entire 26-year life, including an official stamped Heritage certificate from the Jaguar factory. Jaguar says no further Royal cars will be released again by the factory, which makes the Queen's car highly important and collectable.

BYD, which is virtually unknown outside China, has done a deal with Mercedes-Benz and will collaborate on a joint-venture electric car. The Chinese company is putting up its battery technology and e-drive systems while the Germans will contribute the electric-car knowledge and experience. The tie-up could also have a surprising side-effect - improved safety for Chinese cars."It is a co-operation between the most senior automaker and the most junior," says BYD's general manager of international sales, Henry Li. "We know the requirements for safer cars and we will have cars that meet those standards. We are very keen to make sure all our cars pass the crash tests."Mercedes believes the tie-up with BYD is a win-win business model. "Daimler's knowhow in electric vehicle architecture and BYD's excellence in battery technology and e-drive systems are a good match," says company chairman, Dieter Zetsche.The two companies will also collaborate on a technical centre in China to develop and test the electric car, which will be marketed under a new joint-venture brand specifically for China.BYD is moving ahead rapidly on the electric front and showed its new E6 electric wagon and F3DM electric sedan at the Geneva Motor Show.The E6 has a range of 330 kilometres between charges using what BYD calls the 'Fe lithium-ion phosphate battery' and a 74kW/450Nm electric motor. The car's battery can be recharged to 50 per cent capacity in 30 minutes and the pack has a 10-year lifespan. The car will hit 100km/h in less than 14 seconds, with a projected top speed of 140km/h. The E6 will be sold first in the USA and then Europe in 2011, with both front and all-wheel drive.Li says the first target is taxis and large corporate fleets. "We don't expect to build high numbers but it is an important car for us," he says.BYD is aiming to be China's best selling car company by 2015 and on top of the world by 2025. It is already sixth of China's domestic brands, with sales of 450,000 cars in 2009. But Australia is not a target yet. "We want to concentrate on America and Europe first, and obviously our home market," says Henry Li.