∙Presented in Heather – A rare factory colour ∙Mountains of history ∙Runs and Drives smoothly
The Background
'Sovereign' was the name given to a number of luxury Jaguar cars throughout the 20th century. The vehicles were based on modern Jaguar Cars and were more an exercise of re-badging than re-engineering. The model designation of Sovereign was first used in 1966 with the Daimler Sovereign, itself based on the Jaguar 420 which led to the model being known as the Sovereign 420. The Sovereign name continued to be used for Daimler badged versions of the Series 1, 2 and 3 XJ's.
Based on the Series 1 XJ6 released in 1968, the Daimler Sovereign, introduced in October 1969 was Jaguar's top of the range model. The Sovereign ran through two more generations of XJ, until the range was restructured in 1983, with the Sovereign name now finding itself attached to a Jaguar, with the Daimler no longer carrying the now iconic Sovereign badge. Production of the 6 cylinder Series 3 ended in 1986.
It’s hard to track the definitive history of this Series 2 Sovereign until around 2008 where the previous owner acquired it and started to keep meticulous documents of all the works done to the car. From as soon as the previous owner bought the car the mileage has increased slowly but steadily only being used on occasion by the looks of it. With the amount of work that has been done to the car and the small number of miles it did within the Hertfordshire area you will be able to appreciate how good this example is.
There is a mountain of paperwork for this car. There are documents and receipts that date all the way back to the 1980’s for works small and large. There are even old MOT receipts that date back to the early 1990’s a testament to the meticulous way the cars history has been stored and preserved over the years.
The previous owner has gone through all of the old receipts and totted up everything from as small as a radiator cap in 2009 to the gearbox rebuild in 2014. The bills in total add up to be in the range of fourteen thousand pounds. This shows just how much this car has been loved over the past 40 years.
There is one big bill of around three thousand pounds dated 2009 where there appears to be a pretty major overhaul of the car. Some of the items changed include springs, brake calipers, exhaust valves, gaskets and much more.
This Daimler comes with a stunning oxblood red interior and wooden dash with a ticking quartz clock set into the center console. It has to be said that the interior is showing signs of its age with the front seats looking a bit tired and the headlining could do with a bit of clean up, but this does not take away from the comfort at all. The seats are like sitting in a very comfortable armchair. With it being quite a luxurious car when you’re driving the interior is quiet and refined with lots of legroom.
According to the current owner the car has been set up to central lock all of the doors from a button on the inside.
The boot is pretty big as you’d imagine from this kind of car, In the boot you will find the original jack. The one issue with the boot is that it will not currently lock, the lock will need re-calibrating or replacing.
You cannot miss this car's exterior. Finished in the rare factory Heather colour, this sovereign really does stand out from the crowd. The original paint is in good condition, but some panels have been replaced and repainted over the years. You will also find two new exhaust tips in the boot of the car ready to go on. With a car of this age you can expect some age-related marks. Some of these marks can be found under the headlights in the form of some bubbling and also under the rear bumper section with some bubbling there too.
But these cosmetic issues should not take away from the charm and character of this Daimler Sovereign. The exterior makes this Daimler a real head turner.
As you can see with the amount of paperwork for the car, the mechanical aspects of this car have been well looked after. There was a gearbox overhaul a while ago and other little bits and pieces to keep the old girl firing on all cylinders.
She starts on the button with a bit of a choke and is smooth, when running there doesn’t appear to be any smoke. When you’re out driving the automatic box is smooth and pulls well, it has more than enough go to keep up with modern day traffic. All in all, the mechanics of this old girl are good, with all the documented works that have been carried out on the car you can see that she’s been cared for and therefore runs pretty well.
This is a true classic and luxury car that you don’t see many of these days. Finished in such a striking colour this Sovereign is truly unique in its appearance. The comfortability within the cabin is something rivalled only by Roll Royces and Bentleys of the time.
With this example being so well looked after during its lifetime you should be able to enjoy this car as it was intended to. When the few little bits are sorted out this car could be used on a day-to-day basis or as a comfortable motorway cruiser.
Notice to bidders
Although every care is taken to ensure this listing is as factual and transparent as possible, all details within the listing are subject to the information provided to us by the seller. Car & Classic does not take responsibility for any information missing from the listing. Please ensure you are satisfied with the vehicle description and all information provided before placing a bid.
As is normal for most auctions, this vehicle is sold as seen, and therefore the Sale of Goods Act 1979 does not apply. All bids are legally binding once placed. Any winning bidder who withdraws from a sale, is subject to our bidders fee charge. Please see our FAQs and T&C's for further information. Viewings of vehicles are encouraged, but entirely at the seller's discretion.
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1974 Daimler Sovereign
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