Daimler Hearse

Daimler hearses have been used by the Royal family for generations, with classical British elegance. Hearses Wilcox have built and been used for the funerals of the Queen Mothers, Princess Diana, Princess Margaret and Baroness Thatcher.

The Daimler hearse is arguably the world’s finest and most beautiful vehicle of its type. Every hearse is hand built and created to requirement.

Known as Britain’s oldest car manufacturers, Daimler was first associated with Royalty in 1898 when the Prince of Wales, later Edward VII, was given a ride on a Daimler by John Douglas-Scott-Montagu later known as Lord Montagu of Beaulieu, Scott-Montagu, as a member of parliament, also drove a Daimler into the yard of the Palace of Westminster, the first motorised vehicle to be driven there.

In early 1900, Daimler had sold the Prince of Wales a mail phaeton. In 1902, upon buying another Daimler, King Edward VII awarded Daimler a royal warrant as suppliers of motor cars.

In 1903, Undecimus Stratton met E.G. Jenkinson, the chairman of Daimler, when Jenkinson’s Daimler was stranded by the roadside. Upon seeing the stranded motorist, Stratton stopped his Daimler and and offered assistance. Jenkinson was impressed by Stratton, and by his motoring knowledge.

At the time, Jenkinson was looking to replace the head of Daimler’s London depot, a particularly sensitive position because of the royal cars. Taking the position, Stratton soon found himself having to select a better royal chauffeurs and mechanics.

He quickly became an occasional motoring companion to the King. in 1908, through Stratton’s Royal connections, Daimler was awarded a ‘Royal Appointment as suppliers of motor cars to the Court of Spain’ by King Alfonso XIII and a Royal Warrant as ‘Motor Car Manufacturer to the Court of Prussia’ by Kaiser Wilhelm II. Stratton also sold Daimlers to the Sultan of Johor. In 1911 he spent some weekends at Sandringham tutoring the new Prince of Wales on the workings and driving of an automobile.

Every British monarch from Edward VII to Elizabeth II has been driven in Daimler limousines. Unofficial chauffeured transport is by Daimler. Her Majesty’s own car for person use is a 2008 Daimler Super Eight. In May 1960, the Daimler business was purchased from BSA by Jaguar Cars for 3.4 million pounds. William Lyons was looking to expand manufacture, wanted the manufacturing facilities and had to decide what to do with the existing Daimler Vehicles. Jaguar stated publicly that it would continue production of the existing range of Daimler, that it would continue normal research and development for future Daimler products, and that it would expand Daimler markets in Britain and overseas. In 1989 the Ford Motor Company paid £1.6 billion to buy Jaguar and with it, the right to use the Daimler name. Daimler remained the flagship Jaguar product in every country except the USA, where the top Jaguar is known as the XJ Vanden Plas.

Daimler’s centenary was celebrated in 1996 by the production of a special edition: 100 Double Six and 100 straight six cars, each with special paint and other special finishes including electrically adjustable rear seats.