1955 Swallow Doretti Roadster

Dorothy Dean sold sports car accessories through her Italianized brand name 'Doretti.' Dean, along with a group of sports car enthusiasts, wanted to capitalize on the growing and lucrative U.S. sports car market. On January 6th of 1965, the new tubular frame, aluminum-bodied, handmade Swallow Doretti was delivered to Dorthy Dean, who put it on display in the Embassy Room at the Ambassador Hotel, Los Angeles, California. The vehicle was well received and numerous orders were placed, spurring production to begin later that year in Walsall, England, where a workforce of 18 individuals hand-built five cars per week.

The Doretti had an aluminum body over a tubular Moly chassis and was powered by an overhead-valve Triumph TR2 engine. Other components were sourced from Triumph, including the gearbox, rear axle, suspension, and interior instruments and switches.

This Doretti, chassis number 1110, is a well-maintained, older restoration example acquired by a young man from Boise, Idaho, in about 1974. After he was killed in action in Vietnam a short period later, the car sat for a period of time before being sold to a family friend. The new owner returned the car to running condition and drove it regularly. The next owner put the car into storage, and it is believed he never drove it. Bob Carpenter of Caldwell, Idaho, acquired it in the mid-1980s and began restoring the car from the ground up.

The car is finished in Shoal green paintwork with red cockpit rails and top. There are knock-off chrome wire wheels, chrome trim pieces, Blackwall radial tires, red and black upholstery, and red pinpoint vinyl top. It has dual side-view mirrors, a heater, brake drums painted a shade of red similar to the top, and an engine from a later TR3A from 1957 with S.U. carburetors and a rare Doretti-branded alloy valve cover. The engine is backed by a four-speed manual gearbox with an overdrive.

By Daniel Vaughan | Jun 2020