Peter Grant’s Straight Eight

Daimler’s answer to the Derby Bentley, the 4 litre Light Straight Eight was an improvement on the 3 ½ litre version first introduced in 1936. The 4 litre, with greater power, better brakes and more impressive P 100 headlights was first introduced in 1938 and clothed exclusively by the finest coachbuilders around. Some spectacular bodies were produced by Van Den Plas and Freestone & Webb. This car is a Charlesworth bodied saloon de luxe and was imported into Australia in time for the 1939 Melbourne Motor Show where it was displayed on the Jouberts Motor dealers stand.

The car stood for 22 years in rented garages before being acquired by the current owner, who plans a sympathetic restoration, rather than a full blown rebuild of the car.

As a new car it would have been one of the most expensive motors available in its day. Unfortunately little is known of its early history, and only that in the 1960s it was owned by two school masters in Victoria before being shipped to New South Wales.