Swallow Doretti
Cars & Owners

MMW 335 was acquired by Roger Giles in 2012. The vehicle was first registered 16th July 1955 in Wiltshire and maintained by Ed Bailey from new until June 1958. Previous owners include Kenneth Jerran, Alan Hodson, Bill Blakeway and Duncan Rabagliati. Presently owned by Roger Giles. Roger is also the owner of CAS 393 (Chassis No.1211) and RRH 389 (Chassis No.1098).

The wrecked remains of the Doretti were found lying neglected in the basement of the hospital where Wayne Butt was completing his medical training. It appears that the vehicle had been exported from the UK to New Zealand in 1961 as a very poor condition crash write-off. For more information about Wayne Butt's restoration see Chassis No.1142.

Previous owners include Ken Muhleisen and Anthony Naisbitt.
Under restoration in 2007 by Howard Wood.

VPP 915 was first registered in July 1955 by A.R Hawker of London, England. In 1967 a student, John Ewing, bought the car from a Belfast scrap-yard to use for everyday transport and brought it back to the mainland. David Wynn-Smith the next owner, bought the car for spares and then sold it on to Ken Yankey in May 1990. See Chassis No.1144 for more information.

LDK 965 was first registered in January 1954 in Rochdale. Acquired by Duncan Rabagliati in 1988 and stored until he sold the car at the Brooks Olympia Auction in 1998. The car was bought by Hugh Allen of Bexhill on Sea, East Sussex, and again placed into storage for another fourteen years. In 2012 Bert van de Put of the Netherlands bought the Chassis No.1145 from Hugh Allen, and completed the restoration of Chassis No.1145 in 2019.

VEH 266 first registered in November 1954 in Stoke-on-Trent. The vehicle, which previously belonged to Cyril Harvey, is well known car which has been featured in many articles and books. Chassis No.1146 is currently owned by David Scholes.

PON 419 was first registered in November 1954 in Birmingham. John Hackett owned the blue Doretti with a black hardtop from around 1963 until 1965. Between 1979 and 1984 the car was owned by Stephen Edwards until it was sold to Haydn Rowe who retained ownership until May 1987. Duncan Rabagliati, the next owner, kept the car until it was sold at the Brooks Olympia Auction in 1998. The car was bought by Glyn Jones and then acquired shortly afterwards by Tim Bishop but used by his daughter Josie Bishop.
Bernhard Ruest of Switzerland bought Chassis No.1147 in April 2002 but kept the car in the UK.
In May 2016, PON 419 was purchased by Paul Harvey but ill health forced the sale of the car. Subsequently the vehicle was sold by Anglia Car Auctions in August 2017 for £31,000. The owner of Chassis No.1147 is not known.

NJW 167 was first registered in July 1954 in Wolverhampton and was exported to NZ in 1961. Owned by the Chaney family from 1974 to 1978, current owner Rex Chaney. Other NZ owners include Wayne Harris, John Rummery and Noel Derry.
Vehicle presently undergoing a rebuild by Rex.

JNL 667 was first registered 20th June 1955 in Northumberland. Acquired by Gavin McCall in October 2012. Among the past owners are PJ Carter, Peter Wales, Keith Mitchell, Ian Faulkner and Paul Webb.