The remains of what’s thought to be a Daimler DB18 have come to light under a rockery in Guernsey.
Homeowner Tracy Ward and her family were surprised at the find, which was revealed after her parents began tidying up her garden.
How or why the car ended up there remains a mystery; what is known is that the car’s plate, GUK 880, was issued in Wolverhampton between March and July of 1949.
The car seems complete, right down to its chassis, six-cylinder engine, doors and bright work. The grill and a pair of Lucas King of The Road headlights quickly became visible; later, identification plates for the Improved Gears/Daimler pre-selector gearbox and Andre Girling suspension were uncovered. As of yet, the car’s chassis plate is yet to be found – but dashboard components and close examination of parts suggest the Daimler to be a DB18.
Our sister title Classic Car Buyer contacted the Daimler Lanchester Owners’ Club for its help in identifying the car from its gearbox number, but had not received a reply by the time the paper went to press.
“The main problem is we are not car people,” explained Tracy, “nor do we have any Daimler experts to hand so it’s been internet searches and local enthusiasts helping us, which is fantastic. We’ve all been having fun with it, but because of that, progress is slow.”
Tracy’s family plans to exhume the Daimler fully and hose it down, despite its distance from their house. The Daimler’s fate remains uncertain, but having been buried without wheels, Tracy is left with two options: slowly dig the car out and push it out of its grave (for which the Guernsey Land Rover Club is trying to locate a suitable set of wheels and tyres) or rebury it in a suitable location.
“[Because of the interest online] we have had a couple of people who talked about taking the car away for one reason or another but so far that hasn’t come to anything so I feel we will be left with either re sinking it or taking it to a scrap yard which seems a huge shame,” Tracy concluded.
