Was the Swallow really a threat to Jaguar?

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While the Techno Classica in Essen is the main focus in Europe this week, things are also happening on the other side of the world. Take for instance the auction by Theodore Bruce in Sydney, Australia on March 30. Among lots of interesting motoring memorabilia there’s a small selection of mainly British sports and sporting cars. Between those a true oddity, a low mileage 1954 Swallow Doretti. The name Swallow refers of course to William Lyon’s coachbuilding company that he sold to Tube Investments before he launched SS Cars Ltd. (that later became Jaguar). Frank Rainbow, who worked at Tube Investments, designed a chassis from Reynolds 531 tubing, an aluminum body and used Triumph TR2 running gear. It is often thought that the model name ‘Doretti’ came from the Swallow’s Californian importer, Dorothy Deen, but this sounds too good to be true. After 279 Doretti’s were built, William Lyons threatened Tube Investments to stop buying component parts from them as he thought the Doretti was a competitor to his new Jaguar. And so production of the Swallow came to an end. The one offered by Theodore Bruce is the 15th Doretti made and has been driven just 56000 miles. Stored for 49 years, it now looks terrific after a full body-off restoration. Check it out, it’s lot 208!

(Photos courtesy Theodore Bruce)
 

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