Daimler

[Enola_Straight]

Firstly, there is the German automaker Mercedes part of DaimlerChrysler, then, there is Daimler, the English automaker, and more gussied-up Big Brother of Jaguar.

Is there any historical linkage between the two companies?

[Tuckerfan]

Nope, the names are a coincidence, and I think that the British company is no longer around.

However, Rolls Royce at one point did incorporate in the US and build cars in the States under the name “Rolls Royce of America.” This was done because of tarriffs in place at the time.

[Foaming_Cleanser]

According to Wikipedia, both go back to Gottlieb Daimler.

Daimler is a British marque of motor car since 1896 and is now a division of Jaguar Cars. As of 2005, its production is limited to only one model, the Daimler Super Eight.

Confusingly, the name Daimler is used by two completely separate groups of car manufacturers. Both trace back to the German engineer Gottlieb Daimler, who patented an engine design in the late 1800s, built (together with Wilhelm Maybach) the first motorcycle in 1885 and the first 4-wheeled car in 1886.

Because Ford owns Jaguar, it also also owns Jaguar’s Daimler name, the article says.

[Tuckerfan]

Based on the Wiki article, my source oversimplified things a bit.

The UK patent rights to the Gottlieb Daimler’s engine were purchased in 1893 by Frederick Simms, who formed a new company, the “Daimler Motor Syndicate”. In 1896 Simms and Harry Lawson moved into car production in the city of Coventry as the “Daimler Motor Company”. From 1910 it was part of the Birmingham BSA company, producing military vehicles as well as cars.

Not a direct connection like Ford, Buick, or Chevrolet, but still a connection none the less.

The brand, however, appears to be dead.

In spite of the confusions with the name DaimlerChrysler, especially in America where Daimlers are not exported in any significant amount, the name Daimler was still used until 2002.

[Foaming_Cleanser]

@Tuckerfan

The brand, however, appears to be dead.

Ford, I think, would probably hesitate to use it on their Jags because of DaimlerChrysler. And if DaimlerChrysler tried to launch a Daimler, Ford would go nuts. It’s like the Volkswagen-Mercedez-Benz/Daimler-Rolls-Royce fiasco. This appears to be habit-forming for DaimlerChrysler.

Speaking of car brands, how, I wonder, did Nissan get Pathfinder from General Motors? Did GM screw up and forget to renew the name? Did Nissan buy it? Did Nissan simply give GM the finger or did GM just not care? (And the first Pacer was an Edsel.)

[Tuckerfan]

@Foaming Cleanser

Ford, I think, would probably hesitate to use it on their Jags because of DaimlerChrysler. And if DaimlerChrysler tried to launch a Daimler, Ford would go nuts. It’s like the Volkswagen-Mercedez-Benz/Daimler-Rolls-Royce fiasco. This appears to be habit-forming for DaimlerChrysler.

Actually, that was Volkswagen-Rolls Royce/Bentley-BMW fiasco, and it was the Rolls folks who were upset that VW would control the name. (One of shareholders reportedly shouted out, “What am I supposed to call my car? A Rollswagen?”)

Speaking of car brands, how, I wonder, did Nissan get Pathfinder from General Motors? Did GM screw up and forget to renew the name? Did Nissan buy it? Did Nissan simply give GM the finger or did GM just not care? (And the first Pacer was an Edsel.)

I don’t know, but it may be that GM didn’t renew the name or Nissan might have contacted GM and asked if they’d have any objections to using the name. Both Ford and Chrysler at one point in time wanted to use the name “Falcon” for a car, but the head of Ford talked the folks at Chrysler into letting them use it. Also, Ford, Chrysler, and GM all have marketed vehicles (at the same time, IIRC) named “Suburban.” There’s also a motorcycle model, which was available (don’t know if it still is or not) that had the same name as a car produced by one of the major car companies. It might be a case of where the law allows you to market a vehicle with the same name as another vehicle, so long as they’re not the same type of vehicle, or perhaps the car companies do a lot of swapping of names.

[Pushkin]

The Queen received a one off coachbuilt Daimler saloon didn’t she? And there will be a Daimler version of the new Jaguar XJ saloon, as there has been (on and off IIRC) for quite some time, the last Daimler Daimler in the UK was built quite some time ago.

Daimler is to Jaguar what Acura is to Honda in the US.

[Johnny_L.A]

Old joke:

Is it pronounced day-mler Chrysler, or dime-ler Chrysler?

Dime-ler. The Chrysler is silent.