Daimler Straight-Eight engines

The Straight-Eight engine was announced by The Daimler Company Limited on 1 May 1934 with its first vehicle, Daimler's new Twenty-Five saloon and limousine. The new engine was the first of a series intended to replace Daimler's outmoded large sleeve-valve six-cylinder and twelve-cylinder engines. The sleeve-valve engines with silence and great low-speed torque were unable to spin fast enough to make full use of new combustion technology and remain reliable.New Eight-Cylinder Daimler.The Times, Thursday, 17 May 1934; pg. 13; Issue 46756 These new engines were intended to run comfortably at 4,000 rpm.{{Sfn|Smith|1972|p=88}}

The general aim with the engine was "to give the greatest luxury in travel as expressed by quietness, smoothness, flexibility, and general ease and safety of control rather than great speed".

While a great deal of useful experience had been acquired by Daimler from Lanchester, who were still building their overhead camshaft straight-eight when they were purchased in 1931, the Daimler Straight-Eight is not a copy.{{Sfn|Smith|1972|pp=85–86}}

The crankshaft was fully counterbalanced, mounted in nine main bearings, and fitted with a vibration damper. The valves, like other poppet valve Daimlers, had wide clearances, in some cases more than {{convert|0.060|in|mm|2}}. They were overhead and driven by pushrods from a chain driven camshaft taking power from the rear end of the crankshaft.{{Sfn|Smith|1972|p=88}}

In September 1935 it was announced that the cylinder bore was now increased to 80 mm increasing the engine's capacity from 3.746 to 4.624 litres following the 25% reduction in horsepower tax which took effect on 1 January 1935. intended to provide improved performance but more important lighter running for the engines and a consequent extension of silent and comfortable service. The tax horsepower rating is now 31.74.

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{{Infobox automobile engine

| name =Thirty-Two
4½-litre V 4½ engine

| image =

| manufacturer =The Daimler Company Limited

| aka =

| production =December 1935{{Sfn|Smith|1972|p=92}}-

| predecessor =Twenty-Five V 26

| successor =Thirty-Six DE 36

| configuration =8-cylinder in-line{{Sfn|Smith|1972|p=92}}

| displacement ={{convert|4624|cc|cuin|1|abbr=on}}{{Sfn|Smith|1972|p=92}}

| bore ={{convert|80|mm|in|abbr=on}}{{Sfn|Smith|1972|p=92}}

| stroke ={{convert|115|mm|in|abbr=on}}{{Sfn|Smith|1972|p=92}}

| block =

| head =

| valvetrain =OHV worked by pushrods from a nine-bearing camshaft-in-block{{Sfn|Smith|1972|pp=88, 92}}

| compression =6:1{{Sfn|Smith|1972|p=92}}

| fuelsystem =Stromberg twin downdraught carburettor with cleaner and silencer, mixture thermostatically controlled (automatic choke).{{harvnb|Smith|1972|p={{Page needed|date=December 2014}} }}

| fueltype =petrol

| oilsystem =

| coolingsystem =water, thermostatically controlled

| power =Tax rating 31.74 hp{{Sfn|Smith|1972|p=92}}

| specpower =

| torque =

| length =

| width =

| height =

| diameter =

| weight =

}}

In most respects, the Thirty-Two V 4½ was a bored out version of the V26, which it replaced. The compression ratio was increased to 6 to 1.{{Sfn|Smith|1972|p=92}} These engines were also fitted to a number of chassis made after 1936 which were fitted with a Lanchester radiator and nameplates.{{Sfn|Smith|1972|p=98}}

Daimler Straight 8 Salmons Tickford Cabriolet 1936.jpg|Tickford cabriolet 1936

Daimler Straight 8 Salmons Tickford Cabriolet 1936 9138854426.jpg

Daimler 32hp Straight Eight 1936 5918265486 f8c8394b6d o.jpg|limousine 1936
Sandringham royal livery

Lanchester 2dr dhc c 1935i.jpg|Lanchester grilled
drophead coupé for
the Maharajah
Jam Sahib of Nawanagar

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{{Infobox automobile engine

| name =Twenty-Six
3½-litre E 3½ engine

| image =

| manufacturer =The Daimler Company Limited

| aka =

| production =1936-1937

| predecessor =

| successor =Twenty-Seven DE 27

| configuration =8-cylinder in-lineMotor-Cars Of 1936. The Times, Saturday, 28 Sep 1935; pg. 6; Issue 47181

| displacement ={{convert|3421|cc|cuin|1|abbr=on}}

| bore ={{convert|72|mm|in|abbr=on}}

| stroke ={{convert|105|mm|in|abbr=on}}

| block =

| head =non-detachable

| valvetrain =OHV worked by pushrods from a nine-bearing camshaft-in-block

| compression =

| supercharger =

| turbocharger =

| fuelsystem =Stromberg twin downdraught carburettor with cleaner and silencer, mixture thermostatically controlled (automatic choke). The induction system is split; four central cylinders are fed by one section, outer pairs by the other section.

| management =

| fueltype =

| oilsystem =

| coolingsystem =water, thermostatically controlled

| power =Tax rating 25.7 hp

| specpower =

| torque =

| length =

| width =

| height =

| diameter =

| weight =

}}

Introduced in 1936, the E 3½ was an entirely new engine to power a livelier car for the owner driver.{{Sfn|Smith|1972|p=100}} During 1935 a 3½-litre Straight-Eight open car achieved a maximum timed speed at Brooklands of slightly in excess of 90 mph.{{Sfn|Smith|1972|p=101}}

In August 1938 the engine bore was increased to {{convert|77.47|mm|in|abbr=on}} and the engine was renamed E 4.{{Sfn|Smith|1972|pp=119–120}} The increase in bore increased the following:

• Cubic capacity to {{convert|3960|cc|cuin|1|abbr=on}}{{Sfn|Smith|1972|p=120}}
• Power output to {{convert|95|bhp|kW PS|abbr=on}}{{Sfn|Smith|1972|p=120}} @3,600 rpm, and
• Tax rating to 29.77 hp

File:Daimler 4 litre Light-Straight-Eight saloon 1939.jpg

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{{See also|Daimler DE}}

{{Infobox automobile engine

| name =Thirty-Six
5½-litre DE 36 engine

| image =

| manufacturer =The Daimler Company Limited

| aka =

| production =

| predecessor =Thirty-Two V 4½

| successor =Regina DF400 and DK400

| configuration =8-cylinder in-lineRoad Test No. 15/47. The Motor, 17 December 1947
(reprinted in {{harvnb|Smith|1972|p=161}})

| displacement ={{convert|5460|cc|cuin|1|abbr=on}}

| bore ={{convert|85.1|mm|in|abbr=on}}

| stroke ={{convert|120|mm|in|abbr=on}}

| block =

| head =

| valvetrain =OHV worked by pushrods from a nine-bearing camshaft-in-block

| compression =6.3:1

| supercharger =

| turbocharger =

| fuelsystem =Twin SU downdraught carburettors with cleaner and silencer, mixture thermostatically controlled (automatic choke). The induction system is split; four central cylinders are fed by one section, outer pairs by the other section.

| management =

| fueltype =petrol, fuel pump AC mechanical

| oilsystem =Gear driven pump, Tecalemit full flow filter

| coolingsystem =water, thermostatically controlled

| power ={{convert|150|bhp|kW PS|abbr=on}} @3,600 rpm,
Tax rating 35.92 hp

| specpower =

| torque =

| length =

| width =

| height =

| diameter =

| weight =

}}

File:Daimler DE36 All Saints' Place, Stamford.jpg

The DE 36 was the last Daimler Straight-Eight.{{Sfn|Douglas-Scott-Montagu|Burgess-Wise|1995|p=249}} Developed from the Thirty-Two V 4½,{{Sfn|Sedgwick|1979|p=249}} the DE 36's bore and stroke were, at {{Convert|85.1|x|120.0|mm|in|abbr=on}}, identical to those of the six-cylinder 27 hp (RAC) engine being used in the DE 27 limousine and DC 27 ambulance.{{Sfn|Culshaw|Horrobin|2013|p=116}}

File:1947 Daimler DE36 Limousine Landaulette.jpg

File:1948 Daimler DE36 All Weather Tourer.jpg]]

File:1949 Daimler DE 36 "Green Goddess", Hooper drophead coupé 8853058256.jpg

File:Daimler Straight-Eight Wgtn.jpg's planned tour of New Zealand 1952
limousine, landaulette and allweather with perspex head
and their three backup cars]]

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{{Reflist|30em}}

• {{Cite book |last1= Culshaw|first1= David|last2= Horrobin|first2= Peter|year= 2013|orig-year= 1974|chapter= Daimler|title= The Complete Catalogue of British Cars 1895 - 1975|edition= e-book|location= Poundbury, Dorchester, UK|publisher= Veloce Publishing|pages= 109–118|isbn= 978-1-845845-83-4}}
• {{Cite book |last1= Douglas-Scott-Montagu|first1= Edward John Barrington|author-link1= Edward Douglas-Scott-Montagu, 3rd Baron Montagu of Beaulieu|last2= Burgess-Wise|first2= David|author-link2= David Burgess-Wise |name-list-style= amp |year= 1995|title= Daimler Century: The full history of Britain's oldest car maker|others= Foreword by HRH The Duke of Edinburgh|location= Sparkford, Nr Yeovil, Somerset, UK|publisher= Patrick Stephens|isbn= 1-85260-494-8}}
• {{Cite book |last= Sedgwick|first=Michael|author-link= Michael C. Sedgwick|title= The motor car, 1946-56|url= {{Google books|IoBTAAAAMAAJ|The motor car, 1946-56|plainurl=yes}}|year= 1979|publisher= B. T. Batsford|isbn= 0713412712}}
• {{Cite book|last= Smith|first= Brian E.|title= The Daimler Tradition|url= {{Google books|MP5TAAAAMAAJ|The Daimler Tradition|plainurl=yes}}|publisher= Transport Bookman|location= Isleworth, UK|year= 1972|isbn= 085184-014-0}}

{{commons category|Daimler Straight-Eight}}

• [https://www.britishpathe.com/video/london-sees-the-worlds-biggest-car DE36, the biggest car in the world, 1947]
• [https://www.flickr.com/photos/rosco500/3422630771/ Body of V 26]
• [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZZe981kJqg DE 36 swansong]

{{Inter-war Daimler cars}}

Straight-Eight

Category:Vehicles introduced in 1934

Category:Gasoline engines by model