Rochdale cars were a series of mainly glass fibre bodied British sports car made by Rochdale Motor Panels and Engineering in Rochdale, Greater Manchester, England between 1948 and 1973. The company is best remembered for the Olympic coupé made between 1959 and 1973.
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The company was originally founded in 1948 by Frank Butterworth and Harry Smith in an old mill building in Hudson Street, Rochdale where as well as general motor repairs they made some alloy bodies, usually single seat, for racing Austin 7s and other cars at first for themselves but later sold as the Mk II.
In 1954 they turned to glass fibre and started to produce the MK IV, a two door, two seat, body shells for the buyer to fit to a chassis of their choice. This was purely a bare body shell and relied on the purchaser/builder to provide all interior fittings and brackets for the location of the mechanical parts. It was available in a range of wheelbases to cater for fitting to a wide variety of chassis. The shortest at 81 inches was mainly for the Austin 7 and the longest was 108 inches. The body cost £47 10shillings (£47.50) and was available until 1961. About 150 were made.[1]
In 1955 a much more complete kit was introduced and called the ST and designed to fit the Ford 10 or Ford Popular. The doors and bonnet were ready fitted and all bulkheads included. The body was not however rigid enough for the Ford chassis and the car was dropped from the range in 1959 to be replaced by the GT after only a few were made.[1]
The best selling Rochdale was the GT specifically designed for the Ford Popular. It took as a basis the Rochdale F type racing body and added a roof. The body was well equipped and came supplied with the curved windscreen, doors and bonnet ready fitted. Having a roof, the body was much stiffer than the ST and overcame the problem of chassis flex which had affected that model. From 1960 the car was available with Rochdale's own chassis. About 1350 were made.[1]
The 1959 Riviera was a convertible version of the GT and available in two and four seat versions with optional hardtop. It cost £140 and about 50 were made up to 1961.[1]
In 1961 the original premises were destroyed by fire and the company moved to Littledale Mill.
The company continued in business for a number of years mainly working in the heating and ventilation industry.[2]
| Manufacturer | Rochdale Motor Panels and Engineering |
|---|---|
| Production | 1959–1973 about 400 made |
| Predecessor | Rochdale GT |
| Successor | none |
| Class | Kit car |
| Engine | see text |
| Transmission | usually 4-speed manual |
| Wheelbase | 86.5 in (2,197 mm)[3] |
| Length | 147 in (3,734 mm)[3] |
| Width | 64 in (1,626 mm)[3] |
| Designer | Richard Parker |
The real breakthrough came in 1959 with the monocoque Olympic designed by Richard Parker[2] and only the second glass fibre monocoque bodied car to enter production (after the Lotus Elite)[4]. This featured a closed coupé style bodyshell with the provision for 2+2 seating but the rear seats were very cramped and many builders left them out. Unlike many sports and low production cars of the time, wind down windows were installed.
Production started in 1960 using a Riley 1.5 litre twin cam engine, independent front suspension by torsion bar modified from that of the Morris Minor and live rear axle suspended by coil springs. Other engines could be fitted including the Morris Minor, MG MGA, and Ford 109E. The engine and front suspension was mouted on a tubular steel subframe bonded to the body shell and roll over protection was provided by a steel tube over the windscreen. The car appeared at the Copenhagen Racing Car Show and the Geneva Motor Show.[2] A very complete kit, including an engine and all other mechanical parts, cost £670.[5] About 250 were made when the fire caused production to be suspended.[1] The car was available in both left and right hand drive and cars were exported to several countries including Australia and the United States. On test by The Motor magazine in 1961 a 1.5 litre Riley engined model achieved a top speed of 102 mph (164 km/h) and a 0-60 mph (97 km/h) time of 11.9 seconds[5].
The Phase II Olympic was introduced in 1963 at the London Racing Car Show[2] and was now standardised on a 78 bhp Ford 116E 1500 cc engine. Front suspension now used Triumph wishbone units whilst the rear used a BMC axle with coil springs. Front disc brakes were fitted. The car weighed under 12 cwt and could reach 114 mph (183 km/h) with a 0-60 mph time of under 11 seconds. The rear window was made to open to give better access to the interior. The car was available as a complete kit for around £735 or fully built for £930 and about 150 were made.[1] Production declined rapidly after 1967 but the last body was made in 1973.[1]
The body moulds are now owned by the Rochdale Owners Club.[1]