1970 Best of Show Winner
September 30, 2020
1931 Daimler Double Six 50 Royal Limousine shown by J. B. Nethercutt
Three Daimler Double-Sixes have garnered the top award at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, and each exhibits an imposing and magnificent presence.
Daimlers have sometimes been chosen to serve Britain’s Royal Family, and when he purchased this car in 1968, J. B. Nethercutt was told by the previous owner that it had been used at Buckingham Palace — but he had his doubts since the car was then being housed in the chicken coup of a very modest home in Kent.
After an 18-month restoration, prior to competing at the Pebble Beach Concours, J. B. drove this car more than 3,000 miles to the 18th annual meeting of the Classic Car Club of America, held in Buck Hill Falls, Pennsylvania — where the car placed first overall with 97 points. Somewhere along the way, J. B. nicknamed it “The Gutless Wonder” because he felt its V12 sleeve valve engine was underpowered — although it was as quiet and smooth as original ads promised. The engine also had a tendency to solidify in cold temperatures, so on several early mornings, the Nethercutt team had to bath the engine in warm water and change the oil weight to get it running.
The car’s two-tone color scheme underscores its formal elegance and length of line, and it easily beat the competition at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance that summer.
Fittingly, the win with this Double Six marked the second time Nethercutt had recorded two consecutive wins.