1955 Daimler Conquest

Sold for $35,200 at 2017 Bonhams : The Amelia Island Auction.
The Daimler Conquest was produced in the United Kingdom from 1953 to 1958. It made its debut at the 1953 Motor Show where it featured a new 2.4-liter, overhead-valve, six-cylinder engine mated to the familiar Daimler fluid flywheel and pre-selector gearbox. It was based on the Lanchester Fourteen and served as a replacement for the Daimler Consort. Powering the Conquest was a straight-six engine developed from the inline-four used in Lanchester's Fourteen and Leda models. It was made from cast iron, had a 6.6:1 compression ratio, a 2433cc displacement, and a single Zenith carburetor.

The Conquest had a separate chassis incorporating independent front suspension and Girling Hydro-mechanical brakes.

Several body styles were available, including a roadster, saloon, and drophead coupe. The Conquest Century Roadster was a lightweight, alloy-bodied two-seat Roadster that could reach 100 mph.

This particular example, a Conquest Roadster, is one of only about 65 examples produced. It was completed on October 8th, 1954, and dispatched less than two months later, on December 1st, to Somerset in the United Kingdom. When it left the factory, it was trimmed in blue. Prior to the current owner acquiring the car in 2012, it had resided with a single, British keeper for the previous four decades. From April 2000 until 2012, the car was mostly garage kept and not driven.

The current caretaker had the car sent to Autosport in Modena, Italy, for a thorough cosmetic restoration. New silver paint was applied to the chrome and aluminum bodywork. The interior received newly trimmed leather seats, dash, and door panels, along with new red carpets. Any necessary mechanical work was done by North East Auto Doctors of Bethel, Connecticut.

By Daniel Vaughan | Apr 2017