Welcome to the Daimler Dart Gallery
The Daimler Dart SP250 is a sports car built by the Daimler Company, a British manufacturer in Coventry, from 1959 to 1964. It was the last car to be launched by Daimler before its parent company, the Birmingham Small Arms Company (BSA), sold it to Jaguar Cars in 1960.



Shortly after being appointed Managing Director (Chief Executive) of BSA's Automotive Division in 1956, Edward Turner was asked to design a saloon car powered by a V8 engine The engine drawings were finalised by March 1958, but the saloon prototype, project number DN250, was not available for examination by the committee formed in 1958 to report on the feasibility of the V8 cars. The committee's evaluation centred on the prototypes being tested at the time, which were for the SP250 sports car project


The SP250 had a fibreglass body, four-wheel Girling disc brakes, and a 2.5-litre Hemi-head V8 engine designed by Edward Turner. The car was described as a 2+2, but the bench-like rear seat offered very limited leg-room unless the front seats were pushed fully forward.
Daimler SP250
Engine 2548cc/8-cyl/OHV
Power (bhp@rpm) 140bhp@5800rpm
Torque (lb ft@rpm) 155lb ft@ 3600rpm
Top speed 123mph
0-60mph 8.9sec
Consumption 23mpg
Gearbox 4-spd manual
- Engine: V 8 iron block, water cooled, OHV, bore 76 mm x stroke 70 mm, capacity 2547 cc. Single central camshaft operated valves through short pushrods with double heavy-duty valve springs. Aluminium alloy hemispherical cylinder heads. Stiff 5 main bearing crankshaft, dynamically balanced. Compression ratio 8.2:1. Twin SU carburettors. bhp 140 @ 5800 rpm. Max Torque 155 lb·ft (210 N·m) at 3600 rpm. SU electric fuel pump.
- Ignition: Coil and distributor with conventional automatic advance & retard.
- Lubrication: Submerged gear oil pump with full flow filter. Sump capacity 1.75 US gallons.
- Cooling: Pressurised radiator with fan, pump and thermostat control.
- Transmission: 4 speeds with synchromesh on top three ratios. Provision for overdrive. Automatic optional.
- Rear Axle: Hypoid bevel 3.58:1
- Steering: Cam & follower.
- Suspension: Front independent with coil springs. Rear live axle with half-elliptic leaf springs. Oversize dampers.
- Brakes: Girling Discs on all four wheels, hydraulic operation.