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Swallow Doretti - too dangerous for the competition

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Created on September 16, 2016

Text:

Bruno von Rotz

Photos:

Daniel Reinhard

30

Archiv

6

Daniel Reinhard

30

Archiv

6

Swallow Doretti (1954) - The technology of the Triumph TR2, packaged in a more modern, stiffer and lighter body

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Swallow Doretti (1954) - Side change: The rear bumper corresponds to the front bumper of the Austin-Healey 100

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Swallow Doretti (1954) - Where the TR2 with its curved mudguards still looked a little pre-war, the smooth-surfaced Doretti is clearly more modern

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Swallow Doretti (1954) - Wire wheels (whether chrome-plated or painted) were always an accessory. The Doretti rolled on steel wheels with chrome caps as standard

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Swallow Doretti (1954) - The front matches the Italophone name and is stylistically somewhere between the Ferrari 166 Barchetta and the Siata Daina

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Swallow Doretti (1954) - Differences in detail: The windshield wipers of the TR2 work in parallel, on the Doretti in opposite directions

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Swallow Doretti (1954) - Looks more elongated than an Austin-Healey 100, but the wheelbase is actually 55 mm shorter

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Swallow Doretti (1954) - A decorative strip divides the otherwise completely flat flank

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Swallow Doretti (1954) - Chromed fin as an optical "extension" of the rear bumper to the wheel arch

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Swallow Doretti (1954) - Chromed fin as an optical "extension" of the rear bumper to the wheel arch

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Swallow Doretti (1954) - Low-set small rear light. Later models were fitted with the lights of the TR2, which were also mounted slightly higher up

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Swallow Doretti (1954) - Triangular emblem. The dent in the hood creates space for the valve cover

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Swallow Doretti (1954) - Filigree rear-view mirror on the windshield frame. The seams in the leather are not the result of an over-restoration, but actually correspond to the delivery condition

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Swallow Doretti (1954) - Unusual luxury on a roadster: elegantly stitched upholstery and door handles

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Swallow Doretti (1954) - If you think of the speedometer to the left, it could also be an MGA

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Swallow Doretti (1954) - Reaching into the standard shelf: the door handles are from the Standard 10

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Swallow Doretti (1954) - A short lever controls the four-speed gearbox. This Doretti is one of the few without overdrive

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Swallow Doretti (1954) - A short lever controls the four-speed gearbox. This Doretti is one of the few without overdrive

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Swallow Doretti (1954) - Awkward symmetry: the speedometer was difficult to read for US customers, the rev counter for the British

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Swallow Doretti (1954) - Additional instruments for fuel level, water temperature, charging current and oil pressure. Ideally, all needles are vertical with a slight tendency to the right

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Swallow Doretti (1954) - The Jaeger instruments correspond to those of the TR2, but are arranged differently

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Swallow Doretti (1954) - Rather unusual as a pull button on the dashboard is the hood release (top center)

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Swallow Doretti (1954) - Plugged, not cranked: The side windows still follow the traditional roadster style

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Swallow Doretti (1954) - The wooden steering wheel has been retrofitted. The Doretti here also had black Bakelite from the factory

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Swallow Doretti (1954) - Noble: Even inside there is a chrome-plated lever instead of a simple pull rope for unlocking the door

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Swallow Doretti (1954) - Robust and powerful: The two-liter four-cylinder engine with 91 hp was adopted unchanged

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Swallow Doretti (1954) - Robust and powerful: The two-liter four-cylinder engine with 91 hp was adopted unchanged

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Swallow Doretti (1954) - The ribbed valve cover comes from the TR2 accessory program and could also be ordered with Triumph lettering

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Swallow Doretti (1954) - The ribbed valve cover comes from the TR2 accessory program and could also be ordered with Triumph lettering

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Swallow Doretti (1954) - at the 1954 London Motor Show at Earls Court in October

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Swallow Doretti (1954) - Presentation at the London Motor Show 1954

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Swallow Doretti (1954) - View of the interior and engine

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Swallow Doretti (1954) - Body structure

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Swallow Doretti (1954) - the frame and chassis

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Swallow Doretti (1954) - Chassis

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Summary

It was built for less than two years from 1954 to 1955 and might even have been a real threat to the Jaguar XK 120, but Jaguar stopped the potential competitor after just 276 vehicles had been built, which were designed for the American market and benefited from inexpensive Triumph TR2 technology. This article portrays the Swallow Doretti, which the English built for the Americans and gave it an Italian name. Current and historical pictures as well as an original sales brochure from the time illustrate the interesting story.

This article contains the following chapters

Only for the Americans
Presentation at the 39th London Motor Show
More than just an improved TR2
A touch of Ferrari
Convincing
Deadly conflict of interest
High survival rate
Further information

Estimated reading time: 5min

Preview (beginning of the article)

Frank Rainbow, who had worked at Bristol Aircraft for many years, was a talented designer. For Swallow Coachbuilding, which emerged from the Swallow Sidecar Company, founded in 1922, and which later became Jaguar, he designed a scooter called the Gadabout, of which around 2000 were produced. His masterpiece, however, was the Swallow Doretti, a sports car that could comfortably reach 100 miles per hour. In the summer of 1952, Eric Sanders, the head of Swallow Coachbuilding, met with Arthur Anderson, who would have liked to have a sports car for sale in the States. Naturally, Frank Rainbow was entrusted with developing the car.

Welcome to Zwischengas!

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