This era lasted exactly a decade, until 2002, when the car passed into private ownership. A gentleman named Ivan Ford purchased it, and since the car's connection to the royal family had ended, it was painted black, given a new registration number, and although the blue light on the roof remained, its functionality had to be disabled, and the royal coat of arms flag holder could no longer be used. At that point, the DS420, now with the registration number DIIIJHV, had 69,360 miles on the clock.

Another ten years passed, another 6,000 kilometres were covered, and when the current owner, Viennese lawyer Christian Vanik, bought the car, it already had 75,913 kilometres on the clock. He didn't drive it much, but mainly left it to rest until 2018 - for good reason. Mr Vanik (not Vanek, as in Vanek in Paris by Jenö Retjö!) waited for the car to reach veteran age, as this was the only way it could be restored to its original condition. Due to the low mileage, no major technical restoration was necessary, but restoring it to its original appearance gave him enough work. Instead of the uniform black paintwork, the burgundy red paintwork had to be restored with all the accessories, such as the royal coats of arms.

As a classic car classified by the international classic car organisation FIVA, the blue rotating beacon could be reactivated and the flag with the coat of arms could be mounted on the roof again. In addition, a few minor repairs had to be carried out, such as replacing a speaker membrane that had torn in the meantime. In short, in 2018, the Queen's DS420 regained its original splendour and licence plate and immediately won the prize for the best classic car at the annual Concours d'Elegance classic car show in Balatonfüred.

Photo 1: The flag shield holder is attached from the inside using this large screw.
Photo 2: Of course, the release lever for the rear side window is also made entirely of metal.
Photo 3: The coat of arms on the roof rack confirms that the car is currently being used by its owner.
Photo 4: The crème de la crème of the royal vehicle fleet. The last two Daimlers accompanied by the Rolls-Royce Phantom VI

Text frame: Brand history in brief The English Daimler
 
The question is justified: how did the German Daimler come to England? The answer, however, is not particularly romantic. In short: through the purchase of a licence.
In 1891, an English entrepreneur named Frederick Richard Simms acquired the production rights for Daimler engines for England, and even for the entire British Empire, from the German Daimler Motoren Gesellschaft. On this basis, he founded the Daimler Motor Syndicate on 26 May 1893 with the aim of manufacturing Daimler engines for cars, lorries and ships. This date is particularly important as it is considered the founding date of the British automotive industry. In addition to Simms, Daimler was also represented on the company's management board, but in 1895 both left the company, which was then renamed the British Motor Syndicate. Simms did not give up, however, and on 14 January 1896, with the licence rights, he founded the Daimler Motor Company with the same original goal. Automobile production began in the same year. The first model, the Daimler Wagonette 4HP, which was first launched in 1897, was manufactured until 1900, followed by other models. In keeping with the customs of the time, the factory mainly produced self-propelled chassis, onto which coachbuilders such as Hooper, who also manufactured the royal carriage, mounted various bodies, ranging from completely open to rear-open landaulets to completely closed ones. The brand's history was quite turbulent at the beginning: in 1904, for example, it had to be re-established before being taken over in 1910 by the British arms manufacturer Birmingham Small Arms (BSA), which later became known for its motorcycles. Daimler Motor Company Ltd., with its "Daimler England" emblem, then experienced rapid growth, to which military orders during the First World War contributed significantly. In the period that followed, the company became known for its advanced technical solutions. In 1926, for example, Daimler produced the first V12 engine in Europe. Maybach followed three years later with a twelve-cylinder engine, Horch five years later, Rolls-Royce nine years later and Mercedes ten years later. Daimler was also the first company in Europe to use an automatic transmission. In addition to its technical excellence, the brand was also known for its high level of luxury, so it is no coincidence that, over the course of its existence, it became a supplier to numerous other royal families in addition to the British royal family. Production of the company's own models, i.e. those not relabelled, ended in 1992 with the last DS420, while the brand name and emblem were discontinued in 2010.

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