Lot details Registration No: RVU 885 Chassis No: D90488 Mot Expiry: None
Unveiled at the 1953 Motor Show, the Daimler Conquest Roadster became available to the public from 1954, and was another effort by the firm to gain access to the lucrative sports car market. Unusually for a coachbuilt model, the Conquest Roadster relied on aluminium castings instead of the more-usual timber frame to support its bodywork. It was skinned in aluminium, save for the bonnet which was steel, resulting in a lightweight, high-performance car for the era, with 100mph capability. Chassis design was to usual Daimler principles, a large cruciform with double wishbone front suspension by laminated torsion bar springs, with leafs at the rear. 21-point automatic chassis lubrication supposedly kept maintenance down too. Build was undertaken by Carbodies, another part of the BSA consortium which owned Daimler at the time, and the car was priced close to the Jaguar XK120, at £1,673. The model was dropped after only running for a year with a low production total of just 65 cars. The Roadster was lighter than the Drophead Coupe model that accompanied it into production, and had half-inch wider brakes, along with a higher ratio rear axle and steering rack; 2.5 turns lock to lock instead of 3.25. A four-speed pre-selector gearbox was fitted, with the selection lever mounted on the steering column. An attractively-styled car, the Conquest Roadster remains an enticing rarity.
First registered on 19th August 1955, this particular example was bought in London and driven back to the Lake District where it has been on static display as part of a private collection for many years. The Daimler is currently a non-runner and will require re-commissioning prior to road use. Sold strictly as viewed it is accompanied by a buff logbook, expired MOT certificate (December 1974), letter from the Daimler & Lanchester Owners Club and V5 / V5C Registration Documents.
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