Classic Car Classifieds > Daimler V26

The Daimler Straight-Eight poppet-valve eight-cylinders in-line petrol 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.These new engines were intended to run comfortably at 4,000 rpm.

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 must have 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.