Subject: Time:10:56 AM
OFFICE MEMO Swallow Doretti Date:2/24/94
> FYI--the Swallow Doretti is a Triumph based roadster built in 1954 with an
aluminum Swallow coachbuilt body. Only 275 were made. It has a short but
interesting history.
"Classic and Sports Car" had a page on the Doretti last year, written by owner
James Williams of Cheshire, UK. He bought the very last one as a pile of parts
from the liquidator at the factory in Walsall.
Swallow Sidecar and Coachbuilding (the parent of Jaguar Cars, Ltd.) was sold by
Jaguar in 1945 to Tube Investments, Ltd., where chief engineer Frank Rainbow
designed the Doretti, which looks a lot like the big Austin-Healeys. Supposedly
Jaguar told Tube Investments to choose between marketing a rival and continuing
to supply components to Jaguar. Triumph head Sir John Black was considering
taking it over when he was seriously injured in a crash in one, and that was
the end of it. The Swallow name is still registered with Watsonian, a maker of
Land-Rover body panels.
"A to Z Sports cars" says 276 were made, including 3 coupe 2+2's called the
Sabre.
I saw one in 1971 in Peoria, Illinois at a used sports car dealer. The price
was something like $800, an incredible mound of cash to a poor college student.
There was no name on the outside, but I remember lifting the bonnet and seeing
the Swallow Coachbuilding number data plate. Since I knew of the Jaguar
connection but the thing looked so much like a big Healey I was confused, and
it wasn't until about 15 years later that I found out what it was.
"Paging Mr. Wells, Mr. H.G.Wells. I need to borrow your time machine." That
shop also had a beautifully restored MGTF for $1500.
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