“A superlative blend of grace and refinement” - The Daimler Double Six Coupe

“A superlative blend of grace and refinement”. That is how Daimler referred to the Double Six Coupe, and Smallman Hall Cars is selling one of the few surviving examples. It was the first Daimler-badged sporting car since the demise of the SP250 in 1964, although the name reflected the 1926 7.1-litre Double-Six 50.  And a Regency Red Double Six Coupe was the sort of motor car for Peter Bowles to take a jaunt to the Henley Regatta.

Jaguar introduced the XJ Coupe, aka the XJ-C, at the 1973 Frankfurt Motor Show, and it made its UK debut on the 27th of October at the London Motor Show, as the flagship of the XJ Series II range.  A Lavender XJ12C was the star of the stand, and Jaguar’s Public Relations Manager Andrew Whyte stated in the press pack that this “limited volume 2-door model” was a “new venture for Jaguar - which is scheduled to join the new range early in 1974”.  

Meanwhile, according to one advertisement at least:

The Jaguar is one cat that believes in spoiling its master.Now, with the XJ Series Two, the cat comes up with even more refinements, even more cream.There are five new models in all, including two sleek two-door coupe designs - the XJ6C and the XJ12C. 

In fact, sales would not commence until April 1975, partially because of Jaguar’s problems with the doors and the side windows. Their aim was to raise and seal the latter without fault at 130 mph. There was also inadequate factory production capacity, as well as the impact of the 1973 OPEC Oil Crisis. 

But the Coupe was worth the wait. Buyers had a choice of the 4.2-litre XJ6, the XJ12, the Daimler Sovereign 4.2, and the flagship Daimler Double-Six Coupe. According to the brochure: 

This prestigious and dignified marque has always enjoyed the exclusivity born of craftsman-built, low volume production, and the two-door Sovereign and two-door Double-Six uphold all these traditions in а modern concept. 

From May 1975 onwards, Jaguar fitted all 12-cylinder XJs with “D-Jetronic” electronic fuel injection.  Autocar found the XJ12C “the most universally liked car to pass through our hands for a very long time.” Motor Sport said, “In performance, comfort and quietness it has few, if any, peers anywhere in the World”.

By December 1976, the Double Six Coupe cost £9,688, compared with £9,417 for the XJ12C; however, it was a positive bargain when a Bentley Corniche was priced at £30,122.  for a Rolls-Royce Corniche. The Double Six owner gained a more opulent interior than the XJ12C - plus the status of owning a Daimler.

Production of the XJ-C range ceased in November 1977 after just 10,426 units. The cost of making it comply with US safety regulations meant Jaguar never sold the Coupe in the States and the launch of the XJ-S in late 1975 meant the XJ-C had a limited future.  The Double Six was the rarest version, with only 407 V12-engine Daimlers leaving the factory, 372 with right-hand drive.

With such a fine car, it is tempting to envision an alternative timeline, one in which Jaguar retained the Daimler Coupes as a quietly svelte alternative to the XJ-S. It is a tempting thought, one that would have helped Daimler forge an identity separate from Jaguar. Browns Lane acquired the famous marque in 1960, and by 1968, with the end of Majestic Major and DR450 sales, all Daimlers were Jaguar-derived.

Alas, such a plan was unlikely to have been realised, for by 1975 the British Leyland empire’s problems were front-page news. One of Daimler’s achievements was to make potential buyers forget about reports of losses and industrial chaos, and focus on the Double Six Coupe’s quiet elegance.  

After all, with a Daimler Double Six Coupe, you could enjoy “the exhilaration which safe, effortless motoring can provide”.

With thanks to Smallman Hall Cars for their time.

With thanks to Smallman Hall Cars for the permission to use the images in this blog.