We are pleased to share an update regarding the restoration of our 1909 Daimler TB22 Drophead! Less than one dozen of this early sleeve valve engine vehicles were ever produced and the one in our collection is the only known complete model remaining.
Since this was added to the collection, our restoration team has been hard at work on this (and others!) to restore this to its original integrity. While the vehicle ran upon purchase, it was not running very well, and the engine required a complete rebuild.
According to our mechanic Andy, "this was a unique sleeve valve engine because it has piston rings on the pistons, but it also has rings on the cylinder head to seal it and the combustion chamber." The engine is almost finished and took about six weeks to rebuild, with only the gears needing to be remade at this point.
The next step in the restoration process is making the trim pieces and completing those before taking on the body of the vehicle. Body restoration will be done by Steve, who is "excited and looking forward to restoring this unique piece of automotive history."
Pictured above is the 1909 Daimler on the Museum floor in its current restoration stage. Visitors enjoy seeing the "bare bones" of an automobile from the early 20th century, as well as the rebuilt engine on display. Subscribe to our newsletter and stay up to date with restoration progress on this piece of automobile history and other cars in our incredible collection!
