Swallow Doretti
Cars & Owners

VVT 497 was first registered on March 12th 1955 in Stoke-on-Trent to a Harry Hancock of Tunstall. Ken Yankey bought the partly restored car early in 1994 from Bill Holden of Billingham and completed the rebuild in time for the 40th anniversary celebration.
In August 2008 Geoff Mansfield acquired the car with the intention of undertaking a complete restoration to a concours condition.

MFH 924 (now 399 UXB) was Simon Brooks' first Doretti, which he owned from 1955 to 1961. Subsequent owners have included Nigel Ramsay, Alan Coulson and Peter Billington, who eventually sold No.1151 on to Andy Schultz in 2004. Since the car was re-commissioned in 2004 after over twenty years off the road, it has been re-registered as 399 UXB. Lots more information about the car can be found in A Fine Survivor.  ...(Photo: Iain Cameron)

WTB 338 originally registered in Lancashire, is often seen descibed as a barchetta. It is also often erroneously described as being a factory race car or a prototype. However it is actually a "special", built by Derek Pugh in 1965.
The car was bought by Christian Hartmann from Karl Marschhofer of Gmunden, Austria in December 2000 and was subjected to a ground-up restoration, keeping Derek Pugh's design. For more details of the car's background see Chassis No.1152.

UVT 429 was first registered in September 1954 and was originally black but is now painted British racing green. The current owner of Chassis No.1153 is David Bartlett

UXG 264 was originally registered as MVB 4. The car was restored by Quentin Gray in 2004 after being off the road for 24 years. Past owners have included Christopher Smedley, Adrian Dunbar, J P LeVine, Peter Elliott and Duncan Rabagliati.

LDP 107 was first registered in July 1955 and was acquired by Emma Thompson in 2011 from her father, Simon Brooks, who had bought the car in 1999 from Ted Bailey who had owned the car for nearly forty years. Information about Simon's first Doretti (No.1151) can be found in an article entitled A Fine Survivor.
The Doretti had been used extensively by Simon and his wife Helen for many rallies in the UK and France. Some of the many modifications that were made to help cope with modern road conditions include the installation of front disc brakes, rack and pinion steering, a TR4 rear axle and a five-speed all synchromesh gearbox. Electrical upgrades included an alternator, halogen headlights, airhorns and an electric radiator fan.
For more details of the car's background and rebuild by Ted Bailey see Second Time Around.

Tom Stubbs the owner of Chassis No.1156 is also reported to own Chassis No.1080.

829 DRF was owned a Dr Donald of Castle Douglas until bought by John Stamper of Wigton, Cumbria early in 1960. Later in the year John and his wife Hazel drove to Italy in the Doretti to the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome. John raced and rallied the car for many years in local car club events. In 1994 Ken Yankey bought the seriously neglected car for restoration but never got around to even starting the project and it was eventually sold to Nigel Wilcox in Sepember 2007.  ... (Photo: Jan Bos)

TTU 455 owned by Ken Yankey is presently half-way through a complete rebuild.
For more information about TTU 455 see Chassis No.1158.