Daimler's early bird

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To most people, a Veteran car of 1904 is very old indeed, but by that point most major manufacturers had settled on a standardized format and the formula for the modern motor car was taking shape. To appreciate just how rapidly the automobile developed in the first 15 years of the British industry, we must go for a ride in the oldest surviving commercially-built British car.

1897 Daimler

The Owl is an 1897 Daimler 4hp. It was the second car to leave Daimler’s Coventry factory and sports one of the first Tonneau bodies, a style developed by its first owner, the Northampton coachbuilder Arthur Mulliner. While other motoring pioneers moved onto new pastures, Mulliner never tired of his Daimler and kept it until the end of his life in 1946, regularly showing and rallying it.

Since Veterans were still a niche interest, it was snapped up by the far-sighted early preservationist Stanley Sears on behalf of the Veteran Car Club and retained until a suitable owner could be found. One came along in 1952, and the Daimler was very sympathetically restored.

On the road, it is as heavy and challenging as might be expected, but so dependable, engaging and rewarding to operate that it provides more pleasure at 12mph than modern cars possibly could at any speed. Zack Stiling extols the virtues of the car which spawned the British motor industry in the July issue of The Automobile, available now.

Words by Zack Stiling. Photographs by Reverendpixel.

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