The Swallow Doretti, born from the collaboration between Frank Rainbow of the Swallow Side-Car Company (SSCC) in Coventry and Californian car distributor Dorothy Deen, was a whimsical creation.
Hand-built in England, it featured an aluminum body over a tubular Moly chassis, borrowing components from the Triumph TR2 model. With its flared fenders and sleek silhouette adorned with a Ferrari-like emblem, the Doretti exuded the charm of an Italian race car while maintaining the reliability of its Triumph lineage.
Designed as a high-end touring roadster with track capabilities, it found a receptive audience, especially in North America, where two-thirds of production were exported. The Doretti’s debut at the Los Angeles Ambassador Hotel in Gardena, California, in January 1954, garnered enthusiastic praise from both the press and the public.
However, production faced challenges due to conflicts of interest with Jaguar, a key supplier to the Doretti manufacturer. As a result, production ceased in 1955 after producing a total of 276 cars, marking the end of the Doretti’s short-lived but celebrated journey.
Photo Source: RM Sotheby’s
