Daimler Dart Tire Pressures

• The ideal tire pressures for a Daimler Dart range from 26-30 PSI.
• To find the ideal tire pressures to match your car's year, model, and chosen tires follow the link to our Tire Pressure Guide.

• If you want a crossply tire for the Daimler Dart we can recommend the 590 H 15 Avon Turbospeed.
• Our recommended Daimler Dart radial tire is the 180 HR 15 Michelin XAS, However this is not always possible as it rubs on full lock on some cars.
• An alternative radial tire we offer is the 165 HR 15 PIRELLI CINTURATO CA67.
• To see more information on Daimler SP250 Dart tires follow the link to our Daimler SP 250 Tires Tire Section.

Daimler SP250 Dart Tires

The Daimler Dart was initially equipped with a 590-15 crossply tire. We suggest the 590 H 15 Avon Turbospeed if you desire a crossply tire in this size, however we recommend fitting a radial tire instead. Radial tires are better suited to driving at continuous high speeds in a straight line, such as on modern motorways. We are confident that the Michelin's 180 HR 15 Michelin XAS tires will look and perform optimally on a Daimler SP250. Although some customers have reported some rubbing on full lock, everyone who has come to us and fitted them has been pleased.

The 180 HR 15 Michelin XAS tires have a diameter closer to the original crossply tire, providing clearance for modern speed bumps while filling the wheel arches and maintaining the correct gearing. Additionally, Michelin's asymmetric XAS tires offer a noticeably improved directional stability at cruising speeds. Another great option for the Dart is the 165 HR 15 PIRELLI CINTURATO CA67, which was widely considered the top performance tire for sports cars of its time, and is known for providing excellent handling.

Daimler Dart Innertubes

The Dart was sold with tube-type wheels and therefore requires innertubes if you have the original wheels. Both of our recommended tires are compatible with the Michelin 15E innertubes which are our recommended tubes, Michelin tubes are known for their highest quality.

Daimler SP2 250 Dart Arches

If you opt for a radial tire, we highly recommend the 180 HR 15 Michelin XAS for your Daimler Dart. Before purchasing these tires, we strongly advise you to confirm that there is sufficient clearance in your vehicle. While we have successfully installed dozens of 180 HR 15 Michelin XAS tires on Daimler Darts, we have encountered one instance where the tire rubbed against the front inner wing on one side during full lock, while having 10mm of clearance on the other side.

Best Daimler Dart Tires

For historic automobile owners looking for a suitable radial replacement for 590-15 vintage tires, the 165-15 tire size is generally acceptable. While it may be slightly shorter in height, it offers adequate rubber contact with the road without making the steering too heavy, striking a reasonable balance.

When Longstone became distributors of the Michelin Classic range of tires, we were delighted to discover that the line included the 180 HR 15 Michelin XAS. Initially designed for the Citroen DS during Michelin's ownership of the brand, this one-of-a-kind vintage tire now offers Daimler Dart owners a perfectly sized, high-performance radial tire option that won't compromise their vehicle's performance.

If you are looking for classic tire options for your Daimler Dart, the 165 HR 15 PIRELLI CINTURATO CA67, 590 H 15 Avon Turbospeed, and 180 HR 15 Michelin XAS are all viable choices. However, the 180 HR 15 Michelin XAS stands out as the best radial tire due to its similar overall diameter to the original standard cross-ply. This ensures that the gearing and speedometer readings are unchanged and the ground clearance is maintained. Longstone recently helped a customer who had bad tires on their car by installing the 180 HR 15 Michelin XAS, which not only filled the wheel arch but also provided the desired light steering feel.

The Daimler Dart, known as the SP 250, was first introduced at the New York Motor Show in April 1959. However, it was initially criticized for its appearance and was even voted as the ugliest car at the show. The car was later renamed due to trademark issues with Chrysler's Dodge division. With little time to come up with a new name, Daimler used the project number, SP250, as the model number.

The Daimler SP250 boasted a fiberglass body, four-wheel Girling disc brakes, and a 2.5-litre hemi-head V8 engine designed by Edward Turner. Although advertised as a 2+2, the rear seat had very limited legroom unless the front seats were pushed fully forward. The engine had an iron block, was water-cooled, and had overhead valves operated through short pushrods with double heavy-duty valve springs, as well as aluminium alloy hemispherical cylinder heads. The engine had a stiff five main bearing crankshaft that was dynamically balanced with a compression ratio of 8.2:1, and it utilized twin SU carburettors with 140 bhp at 5800 rpm and a maximum torque of 155 lb-ft (210 Nm) at 3600 rpm. The car was equipped with a four-speed manual transmission with synchromesh on the top three ratios and had provision for overdrive, with an optional automatic transmission. The rear axle was a hypoid bevel with a ratio of 3.58:1, and the car had cam and follower steering with front independent suspension and coil springs, as well as rear live axle with half-elliptic leaf springs and oversize dampers. The SP250 also had Girling discs on all four wheels with hydraulic operation.

Daimler made a significant number of the features of their cars optional extras, which allowed them to avoid paying import duties for those features when exporting to the United States. These optional extras were available for the standard car and included wire wheels, whitewall tires, adjustable steering column, hard top, front and rear bumpers, windscreen washers, heater, fog lights, seat belts, and overdrive or automatic gearbox. Customers could choose to add these features to their cars for an additional cost. The availability of these extras provided customers with the flexibility to customize their vehicle to their preferences and needs.

The British Metropolitan Police in London used between 26 and 30 black SP250s for catching speeders, especially café racers. Other police forces in Australia and New Zealand also used the SP250 for speed enforcement. The police cars used the Borg-Warner Model 8 three-speed automatic, which was found to be more economical and better for town work and high-speed chases.

Jaguar bought Daimler in 1960 and brought out the "B-spec" version with extra outriggers on the chassis, a strengthening hoop between the A posts, and an adjustable steering column due to concerns about the chassis flex. The "C-spec" version, introduced in April 1963, included a trickle-charger socket, a heater/demister unit, and a cigarette lighter as standard equipment.

In total, 2,654 SP250s were produced in five years of production, far short of the projection of 3,000 per year by the second year of production. Jaguar built a prototype replacement, the SP252, with a neater body style but decided not to proceed with production due to the high cost of production. The 2.5-litre V8 engine used in the SP250 was later used by Jaguar to power the smaller saloon, the Daimler 2½-litre V8, which was sold between 1962 and 1967 and then as the Daimler V8-250 from 1967 to 1969. As of 1995, this was the Daimler car with the highest production figures.