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05/04/2022 10:19 am
The Daimler Majestic Major DQ450 is a large luxury saloon produced by Daimler in Coventry, England between November 1960 and 1968. It was fitted with a 4,561 cc V8 engine and was offered as a much more powerful supplement to their then current Daimler Majestic.
A substantially lengthened limousine version of the same chassis and bodyshell, the Daimler DR450, was available from 1961 until the V8 engine ended production.
Though the Major was announced and displayed on 20 October 1959 at the London Motor Show, the car on the show stand was a prototype and production did not get under way until November 1960. It was offered as a supplement alongside the slightly shorter 3.8-litre Majestic released in 1958. Both cars used the same chassis and bodyshell, the Major having an extended boot as well as the new engine which was lighter and much more powerful. The Turner designed V8 engine produced a conservatively rated 220 bhp at 5500 rpm and 283 pound force-fee of torque at 3,200 rpm.
The engine transformed the staid Majestic into a high performance car capable of 120 mph. The British The Motormagazine tested a Majestic Major with power steering in 1961 and recorded a top speed of 122.3 mphin 9.7 seconds. A "touring" fuel consumption of 16.9 miles per gallon (imperial) was recorded.It was faster than a Mark X Jaguar up to 80 mph despite its 4,145 lb weight.
This was the last car that my grandfather(mother’s family) owned. My wife and I spent 10 weeks in Britain and France on our honeymoon in 1962. My grandfather had just recently replaced his Daimler Conquest and now had this much larger vehicle. I got to drive it once and ride in it many times that Summer. Other than his first car in 1924, a Buick, my grandfather had bought only Rolls Royce and Daimler vehicles. He preferred the Daimler.
Here is the NEO Daimler Majestic Major in similar colours to my grandfather’s.
For those of you that saw the 1969 movie, 'The Italian Job', this is the car that picks up Michael Caine from prison in an early scene, supposedly stolen from the Pakistan Embassy.
05/04/2022 10:23 am
Great post! Love those interiors, none do them better than the British!
John Kuvakas
Warrenton, VA
05/04/2022 12:04 pm
The Daimler V8 engine was made in two sizes, the 2.5 liter hemispherical combustion version was fitted to the SP250 sport car and the larger 4.4 liter version to the Majestic Major. Here is a shot of the 2.5 liter which was also fitted to the Daimler 2.5 sedan which was essentially a Jaguar Mark II with the V8 engine and this was produced up to about 1968.
John F. Quilter
Eugene, Oregon USA
05/04/2022 2:36 pm
Well done, David! Fine pictures and good factual information, plus your own good memories. A fine post. Keep 'em coming!
David Green and David Green reacted
06/04/2022 12:44 pm
Great post David. Here is mine in another color scheme...
Cheers
Keko Romero Sánchez
Cádiz, Spain
http://kekomovil.blogspot.com