What’s in a name?

Why we can’t buy a Daimler!

By Michael Binstock

Acorn Automotive Editor

A little while ago Chrysler merged with Mercedes-Benz and a new company was formed. Its name is Daimler Chrysler. I’ve been asked where the name comes from and why it’s not Mercedes Chrysler!

The Daimler Soverign, sold in the US as the XJ8 Vanden Plas

The German company that makes Mercedes cars is actually Daimler Benz but they can’t use that name because the rights to it are owned by Jaguar, who are owned by Ford. Confused? I don’t blame you.

In the late nineteenth century a young British engineer named Simms saw Gottlieb Daimler’s internal combustion engine at a trade fair in Germany. He was impressed and bought the patent rights to the engine and the right to use the name "Daimler" on his products. Simms’ original intention was to fit the engine into boats to be used on the River Thames in London. At the time he bought the rights to the engine in 1891, self- propelled vehicles were virtually banned in Britain. Simms formed a company to develop the engine, The Daimler Motor Syndicate, and by 1897 the company had found premises in Coventry in the British midlands to manufacture cars. The first Daimler car was produced in late 1896.

The oldest surviving Daimler is the 1897 car, which is now the property of the Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust. As Simms had bought the rights to call his products "Daimler," the German Daimler Benz Company needed another name for their cars and they chose the name "Mercedes," the first name of the daughter of a Daimler Benz distributor.

The U.K. Daimler Car Company passed through several ownerships before it was bought by Jaguar in 1960. Although William Lyons agreed to continue using the name Daimler, he was more interested in the company’s manufacturing capacity because their plant was located a couple of miles from Browns Lane, where Jaguars are still built.

British-built Daimlers were sold in the U.S. but for the past few decades Jaguar’s premium line in America has been called Vanden Plas. Vanden Plas was a very well- respected Belgian coachbuilder bought by British Leyland, who used to own Jaguar in the sixties.

Elsewhere in the world, Jaguar sells its premium products as a Daimler.

If you think this is confusing, it’s just a part of the craziness that’s the British car industry. Rolls-Royce and Bentley are synonymous with the best of British cars. Right now they’re owned by Volkswagen. Rolls-Royce will become a BMW company in 2003 and Bentley stays with Volkswagen.

Now back to Jaguar, which as I have said before is pronounced: Jag-U-Are. It’s been some time since I was able to drive the top of the line XJ8 and my expectations were not dashed. This is luxury motoring at its best with the best of British engineering and coachbuilding.

Topping Jaguar’s sedan range is the Vanden Plas Supercharged, which combines the 370-horsepower thrust of the supercharged AJ-V8 engine with the plush appointments of the long-wheelbase Vanden Plas. To ensure that this flagship sedan delivers exemplary handling while maintaining Jaguar’s hallmark ride quality, the Vanden Plas Supercharged is equipped with the adaptive Computer Active Technology Suspension (CATS) system as well as 17-inch, 50-series Pirelli tires mounted on 7.5-inch-wide alloy wheels. Drivers of the Vanden Plas Supercharged will enjoy all of the Jaguar amenities, including the standard-fit integrated Jaguar Navigation System in a roomy sedan that can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in just 5.5 seconds.

You can see the Jaguar at Jaguar of Thousand Oaks, but they still can’t sell you a Daimler; no one can.