To Be OFFERED AT AUCTION WITHOUT RESERVE at RM Sothebys' Amelia
Island event, 6 - 7 March 2020.
Estimate:
$100,000 - $125,000
- Wonderful frame-off restoration
- Finished in a delightful color combination
- One of only 276 built from 1954-55
The Swallow Doretti was produced by the Swallow Side Car Company
between 1954 and 1955. Based largely on the Triumph TR2, the
Doretti was constructed on a Reynolds tubular chassis and featured
a beautiful Italian-inspired aluminum body. Over the course of its
short production, only 276 examples were built, making it one of
the rarest British roadsters.
While initial ownership is not known, this 1955 Swallow Doretti was
purchased by a gentleman from Boise, Idaho, in 1974. A serviceman,
he was sent to Vietnam and sadly did not return home. The car was
eventually sold to a family friend who returned the car to road
use, driving it on a regular basis. It would be put back into
storage by a subsequent owner who is believed to have never driven
it. In the mid-1980s, the Doretti was acquired by Bob Carpenter of
Caldwell, Idaho, who began a well-researched restoration.
Accompanying the car is correspondence between Mr. Carpenter and
Dorothy Deen, who was the partial namesake of the car and later one
of its distributors.
A well-maintained older restoration, the car is finished in Shoal
Green with a red vinyl convertible top. It rides on blackwall
radial tires mounted on knock-off chrome wire wheels. The car is
equipped with dual side-view mirrors and features brake drums which
are painted a shade of red similar to the top, providing a
wonderful contrast. This car is powered by a later TR3A engine from
1957 and is fitted with S.U. carburetors and a rare Doretti-branded
alloy valve cover. The engine is paired to a four-speed manual
gearbox with overdrive. The interior features black bucket seats
with red piping, red door cards, and a black leather-wrapped dash
which houses Jaeger instrumentation. A heater provides a more
comfortable cockpit in the cooler months.To view this car and
others currently consigned to this auction, please visit the RM
website at
rmsothebys.com/en/auctions/am20.