WILLIAM A. LEWIS BODY REPAIR CENTRE:- DAIMLER HEARSE HAS NEW LEASE OF LIFE

It has taken one and a half weeks of preparation, followed by a programme of panel work and finally painting, to complete the restoration of a car unique in the UK.

Major work on the 1947 Daimler hearse has been carried out in the Body Repair Centre of William A. Lewis.

The Daimler DE36 Hooper Hearse was the last straight 8 cylinder car ever built in the UK and is a sister to the DE36 built for King George V1 which still resides in the Royal Family Museum at Sandringham House.

The 5500cc car with pre-selector gearbox has been in the William A. Lewis Bodyshop at

Featherbed Lane, Harlescott, Shrewsbury, for over a month.

The preparation was completed by Dave Wilde, paint shop foreman, the panel work was carried out by Andrew Dady and painters Stephen Partington and Dan Evans used four litres of black paint on the hearse.

The vehicle was ready to be returned to its owner funeral director Aubrey Kirkham who commented:  “It looks really stunning.

“I am so pleased we have restored the car to perhaps a higher standard than it was when built by Hooper.

“My wife Ann and I visited Sandringham House in Norfolk and were allowed to visit the Royal Museum in the grounds where the sister car to our’s is stored.

“We saw the car – and even sat in it.  It is finished in green over black with black interior and apart from being a Royal saloon is identical to our’s in every respect.

“We shall be sending a picture of our car to the curator at the estate office in Sandringham,” he added.

1974 Daimler Hearse.

End

Digital image.