1955 Daimler 4½ Litre 'Golden Zebra' Hooper [DK400]

1955 Daimler 4½ Litre 'Golden Zebra' [DK400] in Car Crazy, Non-fiction TV, 2001-2024 Ep. 11.06

Class: Cars, Coupé — Model origin:

1955 Daimler 4½ Litre 'Golden Zebra' Hooper [DK400]

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Author	Message
Yvon52 ◊ 2012-04-30 20:02	This one is in the Louwman collection in The Hague, Netherland. I saw it one mont ago.
dsl ◊ 2019-05-09 04:15	1955 Daimler DK400 ‘Golden Zebra’ Coupé Coachwork by Hooper & Co Registration no. TYL 575 Chassis no. 92705 Engine no. 48771 "... a succession of often outrageous ‘Docker Specials’ featuring bodies by in-house coachbuilder Hooper & Co. The driving force behind these sensational styling exercises - all the more remarkable for their appearance at a time of great austerity - was Lady Docker (née Norah Turner), wife of the parent BSA Group’s millionaire chairman, Sir Bernard Docker. Lady Docker had been appointed a director of Hooper, with special responsibility for styling matters, and set about transforming Daimler’s staid image into something altogether more exciting, commencing with the spectacular ‘Golden Daimler’ which amazed crowds at the 1951 Motor Show. The culmination of this succession of sensational Docker cars is that offered here, the so-called ‘Golden Zebra’, a voluptuous extravagance on the 4.6-litre, six-cylinder, DK400 limousine chassis .... The outside is cellulosed in plain ivory-white, with all bright parts plated in gold. Gold plate is used throughout the interior, while real ivory replaces wood on the instrument panel and for all capping and finishers set in a very slim, gold-plated framework. The most striking feature however, is the upholstery of the seats and the doors, which is zebra skin. The bench front seat is made up of three definite panels and there are two folding armchair seats behind. The zebra skin is applied only to the faces of the cushions and squabs; the borders are in ivory-coloured leather. A new nylon material the colour of ivory and with a tiny spot has been specially woven for the headlining by Messrs Fothergill and Harvey. The roof has a Perspex panel with occluding shutter, and the boot contains rawhide suitcases with Bramah locks. All cocktail and toilet accessories are in ivory or cut-glass and gold; there is even a gilt-and-nylon umbrella sheathed in the near-side door. Lady Docker was particularly proud of the zebra skin upholstery. When asked ‘Why zebra?’ she famously replied: ‘Because mink is too hot to sit on.’ The Dockers’ perceived extravagance was causing rumblings of discontent within the BSA Group board and on 30 May 1956 a special meeting was called that resulted in Sir Bernard being voted out of office. With their creators banished, the Daimler show cars were stripped of their expensive trimmings and sold. In 1966 ‘Golden Zebra’, which cost £12,000 to build (many times the value of the average semi-detached house at the time) was offered for sale by Daimler distributors Henlys of Chester with 25,000 miles on the clock for only £1,400." - from 2006 auction listing, sold for £ 177,500 inc. premium
johnfromstaffs ◊ 2019-05-09 08:17	One of my uncles, he of the incendiary Minx Magnificent, worked for the Birmingham Railway Carriage and Wagon Co, part of the Docker empire for a time iirc. Apparently their extravagances were talked about frequently.

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Message

Yvon52

◊ 2012-04-30 20:02

This one is in the Louwman collection in The Hague, Netherland. I saw it one mont ago.

dsl

◊ 2019-05-09 04:15

1955 Daimler DK400 ‘Golden Zebra’ Coupé
Coachwork by Hooper & Co
Registration no. TYL 575
Chassis no. 92705
Engine no. 48771

"... a succession of often outrageous ‘Docker Specials’ featuring bodies by in-house coachbuilder Hooper & Co. The driving force behind these sensational styling exercises - all the more remarkable for their appearance at a time of great austerity - was Lady Docker (née Norah Turner), wife of the parent BSA Group’s millionaire chairman, Sir Bernard Docker. Lady Docker had been appointed a director of Hooper, with special responsibility for styling matters, and set about transforming Daimler’s staid image into something altogether more exciting, commencing with the spectacular ‘Golden Daimler’ which amazed crowds at the 1951 Motor Show. The culmination of this succession of sensational Docker cars is that offered here, the so-called ‘Golden Zebra’, a voluptuous extravagance on the 4.6-litre, six-cylinder, DK400 limousine chassis .... The outside is cellulosed in plain ivory-white, with all bright parts plated in gold. Gold plate is used throughout the interior, while real ivory replaces wood on the instrument panel and for all capping and finishers set in a very slim, gold-plated framework. The most striking feature however, is the upholstery of the seats and the doors, which is zebra skin. The bench front seat is made up of three definite panels and there are two folding armchair seats behind. The zebra skin is applied only to the faces of the cushions and squabs; the borders are in ivory-coloured leather. A new nylon material the colour of ivory and with a tiny spot has been specially woven for the headlining by Messrs Fothergill and Harvey. The roof has a Perspex panel with occluding shutter, and the boot contains rawhide suitcases with Bramah locks. All cocktail and toilet accessories are in ivory or cut-glass and gold; there is even a gilt-and-nylon umbrella sheathed in the near-side door. Lady Docker was particularly proud of the zebra skin upholstery. When asked ‘Why zebra?’ she famously replied: ‘Because mink is too hot to sit on.’ The Dockers’ perceived extravagance was causing rumblings of discontent within the BSA Group board and on 30 May 1956 a special meeting was called that resulted in Sir Bernard being voted out of office. With their creators banished, the Daimler show cars were stripped of their expensive trimmings and sold. In 1966 ‘Golden Zebra’, which cost £12,000 to build (many times the value of the average semi-detached house at the time) was offered for sale by Daimler distributors Henlys of Chester with 25,000 miles on the clock for only £1,400." - from 2006 auction listing, sold for £ 177,500 inc. premium

johnfromstaffs

◊ 2019-05-09 08:17

One of my uncles, he of the incendiary Minx Magnificent, worked for the Birmingham Railway Carriage and Wagon Co, part of the Docker empire for a time iirc. Apparently their extravagances were talked about frequently.

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1955 Daimler 4½ Litre 'Golden Zebra' Hooper [DK400]

1955 Daimler 4½ Litre 'Golden Zebra' [DK400] in Car Crazy, Non-fiction TV, 2001-2024 Ep. 11.06

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