# Rarely seen in The US **URL:** \ **Category:** General Discussion\ **Created:** [December 14, 2022, 3:24pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/rarely-seen-in-the-us/187925 "2022-12-14T15:24:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/30_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2022, 3:24pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/rarely-seen-in-the-us/187925/1 "2022-12-14T15:24:52Z")
… was this Daimler V-8 sports car from the '60s. If you look closely at the ad, you will see that it had “The Royal Warrant”, because it was a Daimler. After Daimler’s merger with Jaguar, this model was discontinued. I think that I have only seen one over the many years. ![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/3X/a/b/abb1605cfaeb17dd87a58a417417282214d68e6f.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2022, 3:46pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/rarely-seen-in-the-us/187925/2 "2022-12-14T15:46:32Z")
The SP250 has the unfortunate distinction of being one of the least attractive British sports cars. That ad doesn’t do it justice: ![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/3X/0/2/027cb15a715a6874a949c807f89aa8dc6eac7683.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![eddo](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/eddo/32/2594_2.png) [@eddo](https://community.cartalk.com/u/eddo)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2022, 3:49pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/rarely-seen-in-the-us/187925/3 "2022-12-14T15:49:54Z")
wow! What a difference a cameral angle makes! 🤣 🤣 🤣 ---
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/30_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2022, 4:25pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/rarely-seen-in-the-us/187925/4 "2022-12-14T16:25:30Z")
> [@texases](#): > > The SP250 has the unfortunate distinction of being one of the least attractive British sports cars At the '62 Auto Show in NYC, it had the dubious distinction of being named _The ugliest car in the show._… or something to that effect. ---
**Author:** ![Mustangman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mustangman/32/44130_2.png) [@Mustangman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Mustangman)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2022, 5:00pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/rarely-seen-in-the-us/187925/5 "2022-12-14T17:00:07Z")
Daimler had a typically “British” automotive business life. The company purchased rights to the Daimler name in the UK from Gottlieb Daimler and the Daimler Motor Company… the parent company to Mercedes cars. BSA (British Small Arms) bought them in 1910. before being sold to Jaguar. The name was dropped in 2009 and Jaguar and the Daimler name are now owned by Tata Motors of India. What a long strange trip it’s been! ---
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/30_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2022, 5:08pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/rarely-seen-in-the-us/187925/6 "2022-12-14T17:08:36Z")
… and before the change-over to Bentley limos in the past decade, many of the Royal Family’s limos were Daimlers. Even after QE II changed-over to Rolls Royce vehicles (prior to the Bentleys), The Queen Mother retained her beloved Daimler limo. ![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/3X/7/6/76f2aa7f2af57612346a09b1bf6762514bec83b7.jpeg) ![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/3X/a/d/ad9e99fc2e73c758e66b56bf5790167b3996d57b.jpeg) ![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/3X/6/8/68c3923041529e770dcc03234747dcf624b4b289.png) [https://www.myds420.info/qm.html](https://www.myds420.info/qm.html) ![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/3X/9/f/9f3330df6fabde734fd148f26b9277f5a4f3dd31.png) ---
**Author:** ![Mustangman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mustangman/32/44130_2.png) [@Mustangman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Mustangman)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2022, 5:35pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/rarely-seen-in-the-us/187925/7 "2022-12-14T17:35:37Z")
You see DS limos in the background of a lot of Brit TV shows. ---
**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2022, 10:39pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/rarely-seen-in-the-us/187925/8 "2022-12-14T22:39:16Z")
Anybody know what those weird-looking rectangular gadgets at the top of both headlights are? ---
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/30_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2022, 10:52pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/rarely-seen-in-the-us/187925/9 "2022-12-14T22:52:55Z")
I think that they are probably “position” lights, although my memory may be calling-up an incorrect terminology. European lighting specs led to differences from US-spec cars. Some Euro countries used to require that some sort of light had to be illuminated on the side facing traffic when a vehicle was parked. The anemic electrical systems in those days led to some really tiny lights for that type of application. ---
**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2022, 10:54pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/rarely-seen-in-the-us/187925/10 "2022-12-14T22:54:49Z")
Position light? Is that a form of a marker light? For some reason my eye gets immediately drawn to those rectangles. Would have been a considerably more attractive vehicle without them imo. The side-view mirror design is quite attractive though. Grill and spoked wheels look nice too… Wonder what they were thinking with the rectangles? ---
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/30_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2022, 10:57pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/rarely-seen-in-the-us/187925/11 "2022-12-14T22:57:29Z")
Yes, **that** is probably the correct terminology, but we are both guessing. Most likely, only someone from The UK could correctly identify those little lights. ---
**Author:** ![jtsanders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c2a13f/32.png) [@jtsanders](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jtsanders)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2022, 2:18am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/rarely-seen-in-the-us/187925/12 "2022-12-15T02:18:24Z")
There is a 1961 SP250 available on Hemmings for $60,500. Sky blue and restored. ---
**Author:** ![oldtimer-11](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e79b87/32.png) [@oldtimer-11](https://community.cartalk.com/u/oldtimer-11)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2022, 7:01am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/rarely-seen-in-the-us/187925/13 "2022-12-15T07:01:33Z")
The performance was not very good either, the V8 was only 2.5 liters, about 153 cubic inches. The same displacement as a 4 cylinder Austin Healy ---
**Author:** ![Beancounter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/59ef9b/32.png) [@Beancounter](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Beancounter)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2022, 6:42pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/rarely-seen-in-the-us/187925/14 "2022-12-15T18:42:31Z")
My goodness is that UGLY.! Looks like a bull frog getting ready to jump Hard to believe that came from the same company that made the XKE. ---
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/30_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2022, 6:44pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/rarely-seen-in-the-us/187925/15 "2022-12-15T18:44:24Z")
It was developed by Daimler prior to their merger with Jaguar. The Jag execs nixed it for further production. ---
**Author:** ![jtsanders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c2a13f/32.png) [@jtsanders](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jtsanders)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2022, 8:02pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/rarely-seen-in-the-us/187925/16 "2022-12-15T20:02:16Z")
The OP photo is not flattering, especially the droptop. The one below looks better. It’s no XKE, but a lot better looking than the white one above. It also looks better without the top. Other cars, like the Camry Solara convertible, look a lot better with the top down. ![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/3X/f/1/f1bf62fc073f141936cc5adfc78f5352953e0a47.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![wentwest](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/wentwest/32/6073_2.png) [@wentwest](https://community.cartalk.com/u/wentwest)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2022, 9:30pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/rarely-seen-in-the-us/187925/17 "2022-12-15T21:30:11Z")
I don’t care whether the top is up or down, whether it’s white or blue, or any other qualifying comment. It is UGLY. Sort of a platypus designed by a government committee. ---
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2022, 9:46pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/rarely-seen-in-the-us/187925/18 "2022-12-15T21:46:42Z")
Styling inspiration: ![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/3X/6/b/6bcf74b450ac93d78cac94f6e274d40071b061bf.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![Barkydog](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/barkydog/32/2470_2.png) [@Barkydog](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Barkydog)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2022, 10:12pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/rarely-seen-in-the-us/187925/19 "2022-12-15T22:12:06Z")
> [@texases](#): > > least attractive British sports car Guess rag top would be a compliment. Looks bad to me! ---
**Author:** ![JayWB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e480ec/32.png) [@JayWB](https://community.cartalk.com/u/JayWB)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2022, 12:29am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/rarely-seen-in-the-us/187925/20 "2022-12-16T00:29:08Z")
The first pics are unattractive, this one, with the front bumper, is double ugly. [Next page](https://community.cartalk.com/t/rarely-seen-in-the-us/187925.md?page=2)