Dutton Cars
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (December 2008) |
Dutton Cars, based in Worthing, Sussex, England, was a maker of kit cars between 1970 and 1989. In terms of numbers of kits produced, it was the largest kit car manufacturer in the world.
The company was founded by Tim Dutton Woolley and run from a small workshop where a series of cars named P1 were built. In October 1971 the B-Type appeared with a more or less standard specification and based on Triumph Herald components. A move was also made to a larger factory in Tangmere, Chichester.
Products
The B-Type eventually evolved into the Dutton Phaeton. Later versions of the Phaeton were based on Ford Escort components and were produced until 1989. These were also available as fully built-up cars, in which case they received a 1.6 litre Ford Crossflow engine with 84 hp (63 kW).[1]
In 1979 Dutton announced the Dutton Sierra, an Escort-based estate car with off-road looks. In 1982, the Ford Motor Company decided to use the Sierra name on their Cortina/Taunus replacement and gave him 3 months to stop using the name, and claimed sole rights. A 5-day case resulted at the High Court in London, Ford lost[citation needed], and Dutton won the right to continue with the name on kit cars as the judge ruled that these were a separate category from assembled cars. Dutton was awarded costs against Ford and gained immense publicity. The Sierra is claimed to be the biggest selling kit car ever and Dutton continued to use the name Sierra until its production ceased in 1989. A further move to larger premises back in Worthing was made in 1982 with glass fibre body making at a separate works in Lancing.
On the usual rear-wheel drive Ford Escort underpinnings Dutton placed the body of the new Rico. It made its debut in October 1984, at the Birmingham Motor Show. It used the mechanical parts and doors from a two-door Escort but had a Dutton-developed glassfibre body over a steel tubular frame. The Rico was a compact and aerodynamic two-door saloon, 3,911 mm (154.0 in) long and much lighter than the donor car.[2]
By 1984, 80 people were employed spread over 4 factories and a large showroom in Worthing - production topped 1,000 a year. By 1989 Tim Dutton had got bored with the kit car scene and all the designs sold off. A new model had been developed called the Maroc, a heavily modified Ford Fiesta with convertible body. Initially it was available as a factory finished car but prices became too high and from 1993 kit versions were made available. The design has been sold on to Novus of Bolney, Sussex; availability continued until at least 2006.
After leaving the kit car business Tim Dutton operated as a consultant but returned to the automobile making business in 1995 with the Dutton Mariner and Dutton Commander, amphibious cars based on the Ford Fiesta and Suzuki Samurai. 2005 saw the introduction of the Dutton Surf based on the current Suzuki Jimny. Tim Dutton is now a record holder as the only person to have crossed the English Channel twice in an amphibious car.
Early Dutton kits are now hard to come by. Most Duttons have already been assembled and are only available to purchase as second hand cars, usually in need of some restoration. When a Dutton is purchased in 'kit form' the person building it will require a donor car. The donor car is used to provide the engine, gearbox and many other essential components for the car. Fords usually make perfect donor cars. Most people use donor cars that would no longer be road worthy and use the spares to create a new kit–car.
Models
| Type | Year | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Dutton P1 | 1970–1971 | Lotus 7 like car based on MG Midget mechanical parts. Aluminium body panels, glass fibre wings. |
| Dutton B Type | 1971–1974 | Triumph Herald based. Body mainly made from glass fibre. Ford engine optional. |
| Dutton B Plus | 1974–1977 | Rear axle now Ford Cortina but with coil springs. |
| Dutton Malaga | 1974–1977. | Front wings moulded in with body. |
| Dutton Malaga B+ | 1975–1977 | Malaga front and B+ rear. |
| Dutton Cantera | 1976–1977 | Coupé version of Malaga B+. |
| Dutton Phaeton Series 1 | 1977–1981 | Updated Malaga B+. |
| Dutton Phaeton Series 2 | 1980–1982 | Rear suspension modified to use Cortina springs. |
| Dutton Phaeton Series 3 | 1981–1986 | Modified chassis to use Ford Escort components. |
| Dutton Phaeton Series 4 | 1986–1989 | Modified body with integral bumpers. |
| Dutton B Plus Series 2 | 1989 | B+ with Phaeton body style. |
| Dutton Melos | 1981–1989 | Phaeton chassis with new body with more rounded styling. 2+2 seat configuration |
| Dutton Legerra | 1988–1989 | The first Dutton sports car with opening doors. |
| Dutton Sierra Series 1 | 1980–1984 | Ford Escort-based four seater. Estate car/off road styling. An early, two-wheel drive SUV. |
| Dutton Sierra Series 2 | 1984–1986 | Improved body with some double skinned panels. |
| Dutton Sierra Series 3 | 1986–1989 | New body but very similar in styling to Series 2. |
| Dutton Sierra Drop Head | 1983–1989 | No roof. Pick up version also made. |
| Dutton Rico | 1984–1989 | Ford Escort-based four seat, two-door saloon. |
| Dutton Rico Shuttle | 1986–1989 | Estate car version of the Rico. |
| Dutton Beneto | 1989 | "SUV" styled version of the Rico. |
References
- ^ Mastrostefano, Raffaele, ed. (1985). Quattroruote: Tutte le Auto del Mondo 1985 (in Italian). Milano: Editoriale Domus S.p.A. p. 263. ISBN 88-7212-012-8.
- ^ Tutte le Auto del Mondo 1985, p. 264
External links
