<![CDATA[Daimler SP250 (Dart) – Classic motoring at its best

It's good to do something different – to be different. I guess being the owner of a classic car would be difficult for an introvert, because heads are always being turned, and especially with the Daimler.
Running costs aren't necessarily high at all. The annual vehicle tax is free for all cars registered before 1st January 1973 (changed to annual rolling in Apr '14); insurance with a classic car broker is £120 fully comprehensive, agreed value, limited mileage, which in my case, is not bad for a V8-engined 2 seat sports car; one service a year can cost anywhere from £100 to £500, depending on what needs to be done; cars registered before 1960 (mine was March 1960 so it still does, but this is a useful annual check), no longer require an annual MOT.
Appreciation, not depreciation! To state the obvious, classic cars are not made any more, so they represent a dwindling market for evermore. This market does of course, rise and fall, but a quality-design in good condition will always have a market. I bought my car in 1999, just after a 5-year rebuild, and paid £13,200. I have it insured today for £40,000, and it is still somewhat undervalued. (It's a change to make money on something – and be able to enjoy it too!).
The social side... Classic owners are part of a worldwide club where appreciation, respect and interest is shown from one owner to another. Many new friends are made at classic events where stories are swapped, vehicles compared, plans made.
Clubs and Associations... Nearly every marque of Classic car has an Owners' Club, where social events are organised, cars bought and sold, technical advice given, and spare parts are available. One is rarely alone with a Classic, which adds hugely to the joy and ease of ownership. The club for Daimlers is the DLOC – the Daimler & Lanchester Owner's Club (www.dloc.org.uk).
I have a theory that all new drivers should be required to spend a day driving a 1950 or 1960 car in the first month of obtaining their driving licence. This will give them a completely new awareness of road conditions (we don't drive through potholes, but round them); of one's speed (30mph seems quite fast, whereas in a SUV it feels like walking pace); of keeping a safe distance from the car ahead (manual brakes); approaching a bend at speed; and much else. In short, driving a car from a bygone era forces one to become a better, more careful and observant driver.
If things should break. Now I admit a modern car is ten times (maybe more for some makes) more reliable than a classic. But the problem is that when something does go wrong with a modern car, it is often a case of the Breakdown Service towing the car to the nearest main dealer. Electronics are so integral to a modern car that even the AA (or RAC etc) can do no more than plug in a laptop, read the fault code – and that is it! Whereas, lift the bonnet of a Daimler, for instance, and there is a real engine (and not a large plastic cover!), where nearly everything is accessible and repairable at the side of the road.
One really neat pro in owning a Daimler SP250 is that they are so rare (only 2,640 were ever built). I never have a trip to a local supermarket or DIY store without returning to the car to find someone standing beside it. Usual questions are: "What is it?"; or, "My Dad used to have one of those"; or, "Didn't the police run these cars when the M1 motorway first opened?"; or, "It's got a V8 engine hasn't it? Can I hear it run?" I'm usually only too happy to oblige.
The SP250 has a glass fibre body so rust is not a concern (although crazing/cracking can be a problem). The chassis and outriggers are steel so they do need proper protection and checking.

The Cons...