Origins
The Swallow-Doretti, launched in 1954, was manufactured by the Swallow Coachbuilding company of Walsall, famous for its involvement in the early days of Jaguar and for its ubiquitous motorcyle sidecars.
Managing Director Eric Sanders was the prime mover behind the scheme to produce a roadster-type sport car. As Director of Halliwells (the owners of Swallow and part of the Tube Investments conglomerate), Sanders visited California to broker a deal for steel tubing, where his opposite number, Arthur Andersen, expressed an interest in importing and even building a sports car specifically for the North American market.
His interest was not merely idle; his daughter, Dorothy Deen, was involved in a company selling add-on parts with which sports car enthusiasts could personalise their cars. Under the name Doretti - based on her name and given a fashionably Italian flavour - their products ranged from luggage racks to sun visors.
The concept of building a roadster appealed to Sanders who quickly realised that he could draw on two readily available resources, the Swallow business and his friendship with Sir John Black, owner of the Standard car company. Negotiations to build the car, using the rugged and powerful 2-litre Standard Vanguard engine in a tubular steel chassis, began in earnest in 1952.
Sanders commissioned Frank Rainbow to design the car. Rainbow had already designed the Swallow Gadabout scooter, an attempt by Swallow to enter a new field since the motorcyle and sidecar combination was no longer the popular choice of entry into motoring for the British public. Although some 2000 of these machines were built, it did not prove to be the success they had hoped it would be. The Swallow-Doretti, reasoned Sanders, could be the launching pad for the Swallow company's new post-war future.
Under stringent time restraints, Rainbow and his small team at Swallow completed the prototype for showing to Andersen and Deen. By late 1953, the first production Swallow-Doretti was taken to the United States for a private promotional viewing. The public premiere of the car took place in early 1954. Buoyed by the positive reaction, the car was put into full production.
Sales went reasonably well, considering the specialist market. However, two remarkable events conspired to ruin the promising potential of the Swallow-Doretti. Firstly, Sir John Black, who had shown a great interest in the car and its manufacturers, was seriously injured in an accident while being given a demonstration of a Swallow-Doretti. He never quite recovered from this setback and resigned from his posts at Standard. Had he regained his remarkable powers, his involvement with Swallow-Doretti might have helped secure its future. Secondly, some British motor manufacturers (notably Jaguar, though they were not alone), threatened to cancel their component orders with Tube Investments if they continued to parent a company that manufactured competitive products. This pressure was enough for the TI business to stop what was, after all, not a particularly profitable venture. By the end of 1955, the Swallow-Doretti was no more.
In all, some 289 examples were built, many of which (some 178) remain today in the hands of enthusiasts. The car pictured above is chassis number 1068 and is now owned by Andries Kuipers in the Netherlands.
Doretti made much of the '50-ton' tubular-steel chassis in its promotional literature and it certainly endowed the car with a solid feel, good (if not superb) handling; furthermore it could rightly claim that the chassis was an important safety feature. The suspension was by coil springs and wishbones at the front and underslung half-elliptical leaf springs at the back, with fore-and-aft axle locating arms which added to its stability and tractability.
Interior appointments could be described as luxurious for the day, with leather bucket seats, leather-covered dash assembly and thick pile carpets.
Managing Director Eric Sanders was the prime mover behind the scheme to produce a roadster-type sport car. As Director of Halliwells (the owners of Swallow and part of the Tube Investments conglomerate), Sanders visited California to broker a deal for steel tubing, where his opposite number, Arthur Andersen, expressed an interest in importing and even building a sports car specifically for the North American market.
His interest was not merely idle; his daughter, Dorothy Deen, was involved in a company selling add-on parts with which sports car enthusiasts could personalise their cars. Under the name Doretti - based on her name and given a fashionably Italian flavour - their products ranged from luggage racks to sun visors.
The concept of building a roadster appealed to Sanders who quickly realised that he could draw on two readily available resources, the Swallow business and his friendship with Sir John Black, owner of the Standard car company. Negotiations to build the car, using the rugged and powerful 2-litre Standard Vanguard engine in a tubular steel chassis, began in earnest in 1952.
Sanders commissioned Frank Rainbow to design the car. Rainbow had already designed the Swallow Gadabout scooter, an attempt by Swallow to enter a new field since the motorcyle and sidecar combination was no longer the popular choice of entry into motoring for the British public. Although some 2000 of these machines were built, it did not prove to be the success they had hoped it would be. The Swallow-Doretti, reasoned Sanders, could be the launching pad for the Swallow company's new post-war future.
Under stringent time restraints, Rainbow and his small team at Swallow completed the prototype for showing to Andersen and Deen. By late 1953, the first production Swallow-Doretti was taken to the United States for a private promotional viewing. The public premiere of the car took place in early 1954. Buoyed by the positive reaction, the car was put into full production.
Sales went reasonably well, considering the specialist market. However, two remarkable events conspired to ruin the promising potential of the Swallow-Doretti. Firstly, Sir John Black, who had shown a great interest in the car and its manufacturers, was seriously injured in an accident while being given a demonstration of a Swallow-Doretti. He never quite recovered from this setback and resigned from his posts at Standard. Had he regained his remarkable powers, his involvement with Swallow-Doretti might have helped secure its future. Secondly, some British motor manufacturers (notably Jaguar, though they were not alone), threatened to cancel their component orders with Tube Investments if they continued to parent a company that manufactured competitive products. This pressure was enough for the TI business to stop what was, after all, not a particularly profitable venture. By the end of 1955, the Swallow-Doretti was no more.
In all, some 289 examples were built, many of which (some 178) remain today in the hands of enthusiasts. The car pictured above is chassis number 1068 and is now owned by Andries Kuipers in the Netherlands.
The Car
The Doretti was an attractive compromise between genuine sports car and roadster; possessing the firm suspension, light responsive steering and short, quick-action gear change of the former, with the comfort, quality appointments and docile driving manner of the latter. The necessity of providing for the US market meant that comfort and good all-weather capability were essential elements of the package, but the sports version of the 2-litre Vanguard engine (twin carburettors and a compression ratio of 8.5:1) ensured genuine sporting performance and a top speed approaching 100 mph.Doretti made much of the '50-ton' tubular-steel chassis in its promotional literature and it certainly endowed the car with a solid feel, good (if not superb) handling; furthermore it could rightly claim that the chassis was an important safety feature. The suspension was by coil springs and wishbones at the front and underslung half-elliptical leaf springs at the back, with fore-and-aft axle locating arms which added to its stability and tractability.
Interior appointments could be described as luxurious for the day, with leather bucket seats, leather-covered dash assembly and thick pile carpets.
