Here Is a Cheap Six-Wheeled Jaguar Truck You Didn’t See Coming
Sweeping declaration: If a truck has “Purple Thunder” written down the side of it, it’s a good car. While I won’t be moved on this statement, I’m somehow even more confident that if the car that has “Purple Thunder” written down the side also has a V12, then it is a very good car. If you find yourself wondering where you might find such a unique automobile to suss out the validity of this declaration, I tell you, look no further than this unexpectedly cheap Jaguar six-wheeled truck. I promise you’ve never seen anything like this 1981 Daimler Double-Six before.
Feast your eyes on this Daimler V12 Double-Six pickup truck
If none of this Jaguar’s name makes sense to you, don’t panic; it will. This is a Jaguar – well, no – it’s a Daimler, but that kind of is a Jaguar. Jaguar bought out Daimler back in 1960. The famous British Marque began making Daimler-badged cars that were, in essence, Jaguars. The sleek strike of purple we see here started as a 1981 Daimler Double-six. Although you might be tempted to believe the Double-Six is referring to the six-wheeled truck shape this thing has morphed into, “double-six” is actually the original model name referring to the Jaguar-made V12 that powers this proud purple people eater.
What is a Daimler Double-Six?
We turn to Silodrome when faced with completely bizarre cars like this 1981 Daimler Double-Six six-wheeled truck/ute/thing. The Double-Six emerged from the mire in 1972. It got its name when the new Jaguar chairman, Lofty England, recycled it from the first Daimler Double-Six that had been sold before WWII between 1926 and 1938. The Double-Six name came simply from the fact that the V12 powering it was created by slapping two straight-six engines together, joining them at the block. Of course, by the time the second generation came around, the Double-Six used the newly designed 5.3-liter Jaguar V12.
The new engine design took the old V12 from the Jaguar E-Type and gave it a little dusting off. It featured single overhead cams, an all-aluminum block and cylinder heads, and two valves per cylinder. This version of the V12 stayed in production from 1971 to 1997.
Okay, but what about the Six-wheeled truck?
Most people haven’t seen a Daimler Double-Six in the first place, but this purple thing is a rarity like no other. This ‘81 Daimler had more custom work done than you can shake a stick at.
The six-wheeled Daimler not only grew two new wheels and a new axle but also adopted a pickup truck bed as its rear end. There are some major El Camino vibes happening here. It certainly doesn’t have all the utility of a pickup truck, but it’s not not a pickup truck, either. Aside from the major changes, this thing also has side exhausts, alloy wheels, a purple paint job, a vinyl roof, and it got a new name – “Purple Thunder.”
Aside from the obvious perfection of the design here, Purple Thunder needs a little work. The listing says that while this custom Double-Six only has 77,150 miles on the odometer and It passed its most recent MOT, there are some jobs that still need doing. The engine is leaking a little bit of oil, the headliner needs replacing, the fuel gauge doesn’t work, and the purple paint could use a little love.
The cheap Jaguar six-wheeled truck is, as of this writing, for sale on Catawiki. It is estimated to sell between $13,000-$15,000. If you would like more photos and details, you can visit the listing here.
