We didn’t have a four-seater but quite a few cars that seated only two, so I compromised and acquired a three-seater. Knowing my predilection for being just a bit different, I am now the proud owner of a relatively rare 1952 Daimler Barker Special Sports (less than 500 produced). Frankly, there’s nothing ‘sporty’ about the Daimler. Although a substantially aluminium, coach built car, she’s quite heavy (32cwt, 1920 kg) with just 2½ litres of 85 bhp grunt to haul along its occupants and luggage. I think ‘leisurely’ is the term used by commentators of the time.
The British coachbuilder Barker and Company had a long history starting in the early 18th century. In the twenties and thirties they provided bodies for Rolls-Royce, Bentley Daimler, Napier, Packard, Cadillac, Duisenberg and Mercedes. The famous Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost had a Barker body. Fallen on hard times, in 1938 the company was taken over by Hooper which was swallowed up in 1940 by BSA, hence the Daimler connection.