Daimler Majestic
Encyclopedia
The Daimler Majestic 101 was launched by the Daimler Motor Company
of Coventry
in July 1958 and was in production until 1962. The six cylinder, four door saloon, with new three speed Borg Warner automatic transmission
, power steering
and four-wheel disc brakes, vacuum-servo assisted, was very mechanically advanced for its time, but it had an outdated heavy body and engine with separate chassis which kept the car's mass well above more modern designs and made it difficult to manoeuvre, despite the modern steering. The styling was already somewhat outdated when the car appeared and became increasingly dated as lighter bodies with monocoque construction
appeared during the Majestic's production run.
equipped with coil-sprung independent front suspension
, with a well located 'live' rear axle with semi-elliptic leaf spring
s. Four-wheel servo-assisted disc brakes were regarded as a first for a British production car.
The engine was an inline six of 3.8 litres (3794 cc), based on previous Daimler sixes with pushrod operated overhead valves and retaining the 107.95 millimetre (4.25 inch) stroke, but with the bore increased to 86.36 millimetres (3.4 inches) from the 82.55 millimetres (3.25 inches) of the One-O-Four, giving a power output of over 147 bhp at 4,400 rpm and produced 209 lbft of torque at 2,800 rpm. The Majestic had a maximum speed of around 180 kilometre per hour. To help with the increase in the bore, the cylinder block
was considerably enlarged to allow for the fitting of completely new liners: dry liners as present on the One-O-Four were absent on the Majestic.
The styling of the Majestic was similar to, but wider and with smoother lines than the short lived One-O-Four model it replaced. The body was massive and the doors were quite high with narrow windows and a rounded rear window. There were two small headlamps at each end on the front side and two fog lamps just above low-set bumpers. There were plain disc wheel
s.
in 1958 had a top speed of 100.6 mph (161.9 km/h) and could accelerate from 0-60 mph (96.6 km/h) in 14.2 seconds. A fuel consumption of 19.3 mpgimp was recorded. The test car cost £2495 including taxes of £832.
, using the same body, perhaps with an extended boot, but with a new 4.5 litre hemi-head V8 engine announced, though production was delayed until the following year, at the October 1959 motor show, even though production, such as it was, continued, side by side until 1962. It is notable that, though produced for a shorter period, significantly more examples of the six-cylinder model were produced than of the latterly better-known "Major".
Daimler Motor Company
The Daimler Motor Company Limited was an independent British motor vehicle manufacturer founded in London by H J Lawson in 1896, which set up its manufacturing base in Coventry. The right to the use of the name Daimler had been purchased simultaneously from Gottlieb Daimler and Daimler Motoren...
of Coventry
Coventry
Coventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom. It is also the second largest city in the English Midlands, after Birmingham, with a population of 300,848, although...
in July 1958 and was in production until 1962. The six cylinder, four door saloon, with new three speed Borg Warner automatic transmission
Automatic transmission
An automatic transmission is one type of motor vehicle transmission that can automatically change gear ratios as the vehicle moves, freeing the driver from having to shift gears manually...
, power steering
Power steering
Power steering helps drivers steer vehicles by augmenting steering effort of the steering wheel.Hydraulic or electric actuators add controlled energy to the steering mechanism, so the driver needs to provide only modest effort regardless of conditions. Power steering helps considerably when a...
and four-wheel disc brakes, vacuum-servo assisted, was very mechanically advanced for its time, but it had an outdated heavy body and engine with separate chassis which kept the car's mass well above more modern designs and made it difficult to manoeuvre, despite the modern steering. The styling was already somewhat outdated when the car appeared and became increasingly dated as lighter bodies with monocoque construction
Monocoque
Monocoque is a construction technique that supports structural load by using an object's external skin, as opposed to using an internal frame or truss that is then covered with a non-load-bearing skin or coachwork...
appeared during the Majestic's production run.
Construction
Like all previous postwar Daimlers, the "Majestic" was designed around a massive cruciform-braced box-section chassisChassis
A chassis consists of an internal framework that supports a man-made object. It is analogous to an animal's skeleton. An example of a chassis is the underpart of a motor vehicle, consisting of the frame with the wheels and machinery.- Vehicles :In the case of vehicles, the term chassis means the...
equipped with coil-sprung independent front suspension
Suspension (vehicle)
Suspension is the term given to the system of springs, shock absorbers and linkages that connects a vehicle to its wheels. Suspension systems serve a dual purpose — contributing to the car's roadholding/handling and braking for good active safety and driving pleasure, and keeping vehicle occupants...
, with a well located 'live' rear axle with semi-elliptic leaf spring
Leaf spring
Originally called laminated or carriage spring, a leaf spring is a simple form of spring, commonly used for the suspension in wheeled vehicles...
s. Four-wheel servo-assisted disc brakes were regarded as a first for a British production car.
The engine was an inline six of 3.8 litres (3794 cc), based on previous Daimler sixes with pushrod operated overhead valves and retaining the 107.95 millimetre (4.25 inch) stroke, but with the bore increased to 86.36 millimetres (3.4 inches) from the 82.55 millimetres (3.25 inches) of the One-O-Four, giving a power output of over 147 bhp at 4,400 rpm and produced 209 lbft of torque at 2,800 rpm. The Majestic had a maximum speed of around 180 kilometre per hour. To help with the increase in the bore, the cylinder block
Cylinder block
A cylinder block is an integrated structure comprising the cylinder of a reciprocating engine and often some or all of their associated surrounding structures...
was considerably enlarged to allow for the fitting of completely new liners: dry liners as present on the One-O-Four were absent on the Majestic.
The styling of the Majestic was similar to, but wider and with smoother lines than the short lived One-O-Four model it replaced. The body was massive and the doors were quite high with narrow windows and a rounded rear window. There were two small headlamps at each end on the front side and two fog lamps just above low-set bumpers. There were plain disc wheel
Wheel
A wheel is a device that allows heavy objects to be moved easily through rotating on an axle through its center, facilitating movement or transportation while supporting a load, or performing labor in machines. Common examples found in transport applications. A wheel, together with an axle,...
s.
Performance
A car tested by the British magazine The MotorThe Motor (magazine)
The Motor was a British weekly car magazine founded on 28 January 1903....
in 1958 had a top speed of 100.6 mph (161.9 km/h) and could accelerate from 0-60 mph (96.6 km/h) in 14.2 seconds. A fuel consumption of 19.3 mpgimp was recorded. The test car cost £2495 including taxes of £832.
Notable successors
The Daimler Majestic was soon overshadowed by the Daimler Majestic MajorDaimler Majestic Major
The Daimler Majestic Major was a large executive saloon made by Daimler in Coventry between 1959 and 1968, using a 4,561 cc V8 engine and offered as a much more powerful supplement to their then current Daimler Majestic....
, using the same body, perhaps with an extended boot, but with a new 4.5 litre hemi-head V8 engine announced, though production was delayed until the following year, at the October 1959 motor show, even though production, such as it was, continued, side by side until 1962. It is notable that, though produced for a shorter period, significantly more examples of the six-cylinder model were produced than of the latterly better-known "Major".