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Rochdale Olympic from 1961 - Supercar for self-builders

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Created on April 13, 2012

Reading time 6min

Written by:

Bruno von Rotz

Photos:

Balz Schreier

26

Bruno von Rotz

24

Archiv

18

Balz Schreier

26

Bruno von Rotz

24

Archiv

18

Rochdale Olympic (1961) - Vorderansicht

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Rochdale Olympic (1962) - den Engländern gelang eine hübsche Form

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Rochdale Olympic (1961) - das geringe Gewicht hilft bei der Kurvendynamik

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Rochdale Olympic (1962) - als echter Brite ist der Wagen rechtsgelenkt

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Rochdale Olympic (1961) - aus dieser Perspektive sahen ihn die meisten

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Rochdale Olympic (1962) - lässt sich handlich fahren

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Rochdale Olympic (1961) - beim Fahrverhalten merkt man die Limousinen-Wurzeln der Aufhängungen

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Rochdale Olympic (1961) - rasant im Kurvengeschlängel

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Rochdale Olympic (1961) - rund 400 Olympics (Phase I und II) entstanden

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Rochdale Olympic (1962) - der Ton erinnert überhaupt nicht an die Wurzeln des Motors, sprich MG A

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Rochdale Olympic (1962) - dank niedrigem Gewicht war der Wagen sparsam

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Rochdale Olympic (1962) - auf Aerodynamik getrimmt

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Rochdale Olympic (1962) - die gelbe Lackierung steht ihm gut

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Rochdale Olympic (1962) - der Kompressor verleiht im ungeahnte Dynamik

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Rochdale Olympic (1962) - kaum je verwirrt sich ein Rochdale auf zentraleuropäische Strassen

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Rochdale Olympic (1962) - kein Kurvenkünstler im herkömmlichen Sinne

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Rochdale Olympic (1962) - die Räder kommen vom Riley

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Rochdale Olympic (1962) - fühlt sich vor allem auf Landstrassen wohl

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Rochdale Olympic (1962) - die kompakte Silhouette erzeugt wenig Luftwiderstand

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Rochdale Olympic (1961) - Heckansicht

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Rochdale Olympic (1961) - alle Rochdale waren rechtsgelenkt

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Rochdale Olympic (1961) - das Auto konnte als Fertigmodell oder als Bausatz bestellt werden

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Rochdale Olympic (1961) - die Aussprache vom Auspuff ist gut hörbar

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Rochdale Olympic (1962) - Stossstangen kosteten Aufpreis

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Rochdale Olympic (1962) - eigenständige Formgebung

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Rochdale Olympic (1961) - die meisten bestellten die Bausatzvariante, weil sie damit viel Steuern sparten

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Rochdale Olympic (1962) - der Motor ist hinter der Vorderachse eingebaut

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Rochdale Olympic (1962) - Die Lampen stammen vom Porsche 356

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Rochdale Olympic (1961) - die Form erinnert an den Porsche 356, aber nur die Lampen hat er gemeinsam mit diesem

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Rochdale Olympic (1962) - das wohl konsequenteste Kunststoffauto von allen

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Rochdale Olympic (1961) - kann beidseitig betankt werden

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Rochdale Olympic (1962) - enge Verhältnisse im Innern

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Rochdale Olympic (1962) - die Sitze sind periodengerecht

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Rochdale Olympic (1961) - grosses Lenkrad, Schalthebel griffbereit

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Rochdale Olympic (1961) - das wunderschöne Interieur entstand in der kürzlich abgeschlossenen Restauration

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Rochdale Olympic (1962) - tolles Finish für ein Kitcar

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Rochdale Olympic (1962) - die Instrumente stammen von Riley

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Rochdale Olympic (1961) - die Vorbilder für dieses Interieur wurden primär in Italien hergestellt

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Rochdale Olympic (1962) - der Blinker kommt von BMC

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Rochdale Olympic (1962) - Schalter und Zündschloss auf der Mittelkonsole

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Rochdale Olympic (1961) - zeitgenössische Schalter

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Rochdale Olympic (1961) - erst nach der Restauration überzeugt dieser Wagen durch ein hochqualitatives Finish

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Rochdale Olympic (1961) - Türgriffe von Rover

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Rochdale Olympic (1961) - schön geformter Tankdeckel

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Rochdale Olympic (1961) - Lampen von Hella, identisch zu denen, die bei Porsche verbaut wurden

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Rochdale Olympic (1961) - kein Detail zuviel

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Rochdale Olympic (1961) - das Rückfahrlicht ist zentral angeordnet

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Rochdale Olympic (1961) - die Heckscheibe soll identisch mit der von Aston Martin sein

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Rochdale Olympic (1962) - Blick in den Motorraum

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Rochdale Olympic (1962) - Der Judson-Kompressor wird durch einen Riemen angetrieben

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Rochdale Olympic (1961) - Auszug aus dem Produktionsbuch von Rochdale

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Rochdale Olympic (1961) - Seite an Seite mit einer Ginetta G4 bei den Brighton Speed Trials von 1963

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Rochdale GT (1959) - der GT war seiner Zeit stylingmässig voraus, er war der Vorgänger des Olympic

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Rochdale Type C (1957) - der Type C, der Type F und der MK VI in einem Verkaufsprospekt

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Rochdale Riviera (1958) - aus einem Verkaufsprospekt

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Rochdale Olympic (1961) - das Coupé von schräg vorne gesehen - Abbildung aus einem Prospekt

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Rochdale Olympic (1961) - das Coupé von oben gesehen - Abbildung aus einem Prospekt

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Rochdale Olympic (1960) - die frühen Modelle mussten ohne Heckklappe auskommen

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Rochdale Olympic (1961) - ein schönes frühes Modell

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Rochdale Olympic (1961) - ein Vertreter der Phase I, noch mit kleiner Motorhaubenöffnung

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Rochdale Olympic - Von der englischen Strasse direkt an den Genfer Autosalon 1961

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Rochdale Olympic (1962) - serienmässiges Interieur eines "Demonstrators"

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Rochdale Olympic (1961) - serienmässiges Interieur eines "Demonstrators"

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Rochdale Olympic (1963) - am grundsätzlichen Design änderte sich auch mit Einführung des Phase II nichts

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Rochdale Olympic (1963) - auch der Phase II glich dem Porsche 356, was bei gleichen Lampen auch nicht verwunderlich ist

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Rochdale Olympic (1963) - die Phase II Modelle hatten unter anderem eine grössere Motorraumöffnung

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Rochdale Olympic (1963) - Seitenansicht eines Phase II

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Rochdale Olympic (1967) - ein Phase-II-Modell in "quick build" Konfiguration - Aufnahme aus dem Faltprospekt

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Summary

From 1960 to 1967, the company "Rochdale Motor Panels & Engineering" produced around 400 Rochdale Olympic, probably the most consistent plastic sports car of its time. Without any reinforcing metal elements, the Rochdale relied exclusively on the stability of its plastic monocoque. Supplemented with mass-produced parts from MG, Riley, Ford and/or Triumph, the talented do-it-yourselfer was able to assemble a fast and very frugal sports car in the sixties. This report tells the story of the Rochdale Olympic and shows a freshly restored example in detail.

This article contains the following chapters

Further information
Rochdale and the Specials
The Olympic year of the Olympic
Large-scale production mechanics and components
Enthusiastic press
Porter orders an Olympic
Racing use
Around 400 Olympic built
At the wheel of the restored Olympic
Powerful and comfortable

Estimated reading time: 6min

Preview (beginning of the article)

A sports car with the power-to-weight ratio of a Ferrari for the price of a used Ford sedan? Unthinkable? Not so in 1961, if you were a talented craftsman and prepared to compromise. British tax legislation had opened up a loophole for many small car builders in that home-built vehicles were not subject to VAT and could therefore be sold to customers at a considerably lower price than finished cars. Lotus, TVR, Marcos, Ginetta, Elva, they all built so-called "kit cars" and delivered them to customers in a few boxes to be finished. Rochdale had also been part of the British car industry since the 1950s. In 1954, motorsport enthusiasts Harry Smith and Frank Butterworth produced their first plastic bodywork, which interested customers could fit onto the chassis of a Ford Popular, Morris Eight or Triumph Vitesse, at their company "Rochdale Motor Panels & Engineering", which was founded shortly after the end of the World War. This body was called "Mk IV" and was very successful with 150 units sold by 1961.

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