Daimler SP250 proves The Met used to be cool

Nearly half a century ago London had a speeding problem. 'Road hogs and ton-up hooligans' littered the streets, driving with no care or consideration for anyone else.

To combat this most disrespectful of crimes, the boys in blue bought a Daimler SP250 and set about showing what they could do in their 130mph roadster - pretty fast for the capital's highways 50 years ago and far faster than the standard cop cars of the day although the Ford Cortina and MkII Jaguar were no slouches.

Today, the 2.5-litre 140bhp V8 drop-top is to be sold at the Historics at Brooklands auction later this month.