A cornerstone in the infant motor industry, the English Daimler Co., founded in 1896 as part of H J Lawson's motor empire, built their first cars on a Panhard-Levassor-type chassis and employed German-built Canstatt Daimler engines.

Following Lawson's demise, Percy Martin took over at the helm of Daimler, building quality, multi-cylinder motor cars and Daimler were amongst the first of the British manufacturers to adopt a six-cylinder engine.

Favoured by the English Royal Family and nobility and the choice of Indian Maharajahs, the Edwardian Daimler, from 1909 onwards universally fitted with Knight's double-sleeve valve engine, combined engineering excellence with coachwork befitting the elegance and splendour of the era.

Daimler were to retain the use of the Knight sleeve-valve engine until the 1930s, its silence of operation having a unique appeal and, properly maintained and lubricated, just a whisper of smoke from the exhaust would be the distinguishing characteristic of a Daiml...