Engine:
             6 cylinders, 
             "Silent Knight" sleeve valve 
             4.33" bore (109.9mm) 
             5.11" stroke (129.6mm) 
             451 cubic inch (7393.4 cc) 
             51.36hp (R.A.C.); approx. 100bhp 

             Manufacturer:
             Daimler Company
             Ltd., Coventry,
             Warwickshire,
             England 
             Price when new:
             $7,000+ 



             In 1922, at the age of nineteen, Gulab Singh became the
             Maharaja of Rewa, an Indian state the size of Holland. Rewa's
             forests yielded resin from which shellac was made; it was the
             state's lifeblood. At a cost of $7,000, the Maharaja purchased
             the top-of-the-line Daimler chassis: the 45-horsepower model
             with a six-cylinder engine featuring the "Silent
             Knight" sleeve-valved engine. 

             Barker & Company fabricated the salon
             cabriolet body by molding panels of glistening
             German silver (an alloy of brass and nickel)
             over an intricate wooden frame. Two sets of
             windows could be cranked up or down parallel
             to each other; one pane was clear glass and the other was
             smoked "Triplex" glass for purdah,  or female seclusion. With
             the Triplex glass raised and the top up, no one could see the
             Maharaja's two wives as they traveled throughout Rewa. Bearers 
             rode outside the car on detachable seats above the
             running boards, and boa constrictor electric horns glowered 
             from the fenders. 

             Three panels of instruments spanned the dashboard: in addition
             to the speedometer and tachometer, there were gauges to
             measure air and oil temperature, a Radamax spark plug tester,
             and a gradient meter to show the angle of the huge car as it
             labored over the terrain on a tiger hunt. In 1942, the Maharaja
             was implicated in a murder and bribery scandal, and was sent
             into exile by the British Viceroy. When this Daimler was
             discovered in the 1970s, it is rumored that four elephants carried
             the massive automobile out of the jungle in a giant sling. 

             HISTORY 

             The Daimler Motor Syndicate was formed in England in 1893
             with the purchase of the rights to German Gottlieb Daimler's
             motor patents. The English and German contingents pursued
             their separate ways. 

             In 1900, when he was still the Prince of Wales, King Edward
             VII took delivery of his first Daimler, thus establishing the
             marque as the automobile of the Royal Family for decades to
             come. 

             COACHBUILDER: Barker& Company, London,
             England 


             History: The House of Barker was established in 1710 by
             one of Queen Anne's officers. Their contact with people at
             Court brought much success through the years. More than
             twenty coaches and carriages were built for Queen Victoria. The
             skill that had gained a reputation for horse-drawn vehicles of 
             extreme elegance later transferred to the motorcar. 

             In 1905, the firm's name was
             changed to Barker & Company, and the long association with
             Rolls-Royce began. Barker continued to be a leading specialist
             in coachwork until the demand for custom-built bodies declined;
             increased operating costs forced the firm into liquidation in
             1938. Barker & Company was acquired by Hooper.