1931 Daimler Double-Six 50 Drophead Coupe by Corsica

This post, "Very Long Hoods," is one of the most popular on this blog.  Among the cars pictured is the unique 1931 Daimler Double-Six 50 Drophead Coupe, body by Corsica -- the subject of today's post.

Corsica Coachworks (Wikipedia entry here) is interesting because it had no formal in-house design staff.  Instead, clients presented their wishes, and these were either refined by Corsica staff or else formalized by outside consultants.  I have found no claim regarding who actually designed today's featured car.

Some background can be found here, including: "Apart from its glorious body and impressive engine, this Daimler sits on one of the few chassis modified at Thompson & Taylor by Reed Railton to achieve an underslung chassis of the lowest possible height.  So much so, the fenders which surround the oversize 23 inch wheels nearly reach above the hood line."

Also: "The Double Six is named after a taxable RAC rating of 50 hp, but the modern rating is somewhere between 130-150 bhp.  Less then 10 cars were ordered with the Double Six 50 engine."

Its long wheelbase might be 142.5 inches (3620 mm), according to this confusing link (What cars are they actually discussing?).

Regardless, that V-12 convertible coupe was an astonishing design, vastly different from a common perception of Daimlers being tall, awkward limousines owned by members of the Royal Family.

Images of the subject car on the Internet are repeated in so many sites that I find it difficult to cite original sources.

Gallery

An earlier photo of the car.  Other photos on the Web show the color as a sort of pale yellow-tan with light brown fenders.  In any case, it wasn't painted black in its youth.  The registration plate looks like it was Photoshopped -- but might not be.

As seen at the 2006 Concours d'Élégance at Pebble Beach where it was named "Best of Show."

Its hood covers more area than its motor takes up.  Those two vertically oriented handles on the hood's side are near the edges of a folding engine-access panel, indicating the space the engine takes.  Also note the small air intake atop the hood about at the middle of the motor -- probably for carburation.

Note the almost-cycle fenders and abbreviated running board.

No bumpers fore or aft, making for a cleaner, but less-practical design.

I think this photo showing the raised top is by Pavel Novitski.

The hood takes up about half the body length abaft of the grille.  Note the tidy top.

Frontal view showing those large wheels/tires and high fenders compared to the height of the hood.