Swallow Doretti
| Swallow Doretti | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Overview | |
| Production |
1954-1955 276 made |
| Body and chassis | |
| Body style |
open 2 seater coupé |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | 1991 cc Straight-4 |
| Transmission | 4 speed manual. Optional overdrive |
| Dimensions | |
| Wheelbase | 95 in (2,413 mm)[1] |
| Length | 156 in (3,962 mm)[1] |
| Width | 61 in (1,549 mm)[1] |
| Height | 52.5 in (1,334 mm)[1] |
The Swallow Doretti was a two-seater sports car built on Tube chassis utilizing Triumph TR2,mechanicals, made between 1954 and 1955.
The marque came from Swallow Coachbuilding Co. (1935) Ltd. which was sold in 1945 by Jaguar (formerly SS Cars Ltd) to the Helliwell Group which was taken over in 1946 by the British conglomerate, the Tube Investments Group (TI). The Dorreti name was derived from Dorothy Deen, who Managed the Western US distributorship Cal Sales.
The first and only model produced by Swallow under TI ownership was the Doretti, which had a tubular Reynolds 531 Cromolly chassis with a body made of a steel inner structural skin and aluminium outer. Most cars were supplied with overdrive and they were capable of 100 mph. 276 MKI cars were made, including a single fixed head coupe version. Also two MK II cars The car was designed by in-house engineer Frank Rainbow, and produced in the TI factory at The Airport, Walsall, Staffordshire, England.
Production stopped in 1955 when the parent company TI changed policy. Allegedly, pressure from the British motor industry, most notably Jaguar itself, led to the cessation of production of the Doretti. It is thought that the directors of TI were pressured in that in the production of the Doretti sports car placed TI at an advantage over their customers buying raw materials, creating a serious conflict of interest.
Performance
A car with overdrive tested by the British magazine The Motor in 1954 had a top speed of 100.2 mph (161.3 km/h) and could accelerate from 0-60 mph (97 km/h) in 12.3 seconds. A fuel consumption of 27.9 miles per imperial gallon (10.1 L/100 km; 23.2 mpg-US) was recorded. The test car cost £1,158 including taxes.[1]
The standard version without overdrive cost £1102. At the time a Triumph TR2 cost £887.[2]
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