Another mystery car
Discussion
Roy C said:
Slightly off topic: this film clip shows footage of Oxford Street that is roughly contemporary with the picture of the mystery car
Look At Life - Living with Cars 1964
Great film, thanks for posting.. Look At Life - Living with Cars 1964
1aurence said:
I've known about, and been infuriated by this thread for about a year now - every time I think I've figured it out, it always seems to turn out I was wrong...
...but, I recently found the most promising idea I've had so far - a Ford Based Kit car built by a company called Dolphin Coachwork
http://www.fordspecials.co.uk/dolphin.html
"I doubt if the Dolphin was ever built. Certainly no picture ever appeared other than this line drawing. It was advertised for a few months at the start of 1961 in Motor Clubman and Special builder magazine. The shells were to be made for Dolphin by Peasmarsh Reinforced Plastics of Guildford, Surrey. They would be available with either high fin or swept down rear and in two or four seat versions.
The 7`6" Mk1 and Mk2 would be supplied ex works for an estimated £99 and £106. The shells would be available in six colours, fully trimmed with all edges fully returned and weather sealed. Double skinned doors with pockets would be hinged and locked and the one piece forward hinged bonnet would be held in place by chrome plated spring clips. The boot was also to be hinged and locked and the headlamps recessed into the wings and covered by perspex blisters. A front bulkhead and dash board were to be provided as were one or two head rest fairings to the customers choice plus a wrap-round perspex windscreen. Hardtops were to be made available as was a GT version for early 1962 complete with gull wing doors."
Sadly, this is everything I can find about the company, and the line drawing is pretty far from the photo we have, but as far as I can gather is from an earlier, and different model. It also wasn't uncommon for companies to take some liberties in regards to what their product actually looked like with line drawings like that too.
Even though I was doubtful about it based on the drawing, everything else seems to match up. How many almost completely unheard of GT cars with clamshell hoods, recessed headlights, wraparound windscreens, fins and (potentially) Gullwing doors could there have been in early 1960's Britain?
Anyone know anything more about Dolphin?
Well done with your hard work. I hope it might take us in a new direction....but, I recently found the most promising idea I've had so far - a Ford Based Kit car built by a company called Dolphin Coachwork
http://www.fordspecials.co.uk/dolphin.html
"I doubt if the Dolphin was ever built. Certainly no picture ever appeared other than this line drawing. It was advertised for a few months at the start of 1961 in Motor Clubman and Special builder magazine. The shells were to be made for Dolphin by Peasmarsh Reinforced Plastics of Guildford, Surrey. They would be available with either high fin or swept down rear and in two or four seat versions.
The 7`6" Mk1 and Mk2 would be supplied ex works for an estimated £99 and £106. The shells would be available in six colours, fully trimmed with all edges fully returned and weather sealed. Double skinned doors with pockets would be hinged and locked and the one piece forward hinged bonnet would be held in place by chrome plated spring clips. The boot was also to be hinged and locked and the headlamps recessed into the wings and covered by perspex blisters. A front bulkhead and dash board were to be provided as were one or two head rest fairings to the customers choice plus a wrap-round perspex windscreen. Hardtops were to be made available as was a GT version for early 1962 complete with gull wing doors."
Sadly, this is everything I can find about the company, and the line drawing is pretty far from the photo we have, but as far as I can gather is from an earlier, and different model. It also wasn't uncommon for companies to take some liberties in regards to what their product actually looked like with line drawings like that too.
Even though I was doubtful about it based on the drawing, everything else seems to match up. How many almost completely unheard of GT cars with clamshell hoods, recessed headlights, wraparound windscreens, fins and (potentially) Gullwing doors could there have been in early 1960's Britain?
Anyone know anything more about Dolphin?
piper said:
Jowett Jupiter
Yes, I agreeV41LEY said:
Love that !
I love the positivity and purpose about building Cumbernauld. Sadly these projects don't live up to the promise and the whole Town Centre was once voted the worst building in Britain..
OK car spotters - what is this car at the very end of this clip ?
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=8zUQD1p9bXY
I love the positivity and purpose about building Cumbernauld. Sadly these projects don't live up to the promise and the whole Town Centre was once voted the worst building in Britain..
OK car spotters - what is this car at the very end of this clip ?
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=8zUQD1p9bXY
Edited by V41LEY on Wednesday 17th May 08:39
topicman said:
Sorry for resurrecting such a long running thread, this has also popped up on a Facebook group for discussion!
I thought I would try and identify the date range for the picture, the major clue being the buses. The RT Bus Appreciation Society (yes there is one) has identified two of the buses and can state when they ran the routes! They have given a date range of 1/4/62 to 14/1/64. One of the buses only started the route on 1st April 1962 and the other was transferred to a different garage and route on 15th January 1964. Given the caption in the book of Buses in Oxford Street 1962 and the clothing I would suggest the time frame is April 1962 through to perhaps September 1962.
Thanks for your input. Do you have a link?I thought I would try and identify the date range for the picture, the major clue being the buses. The RT Bus Appreciation Society (yes there is one) has identified two of the buses and can state when they ran the routes! They have given a date range of 1/4/62 to 14/1/64. One of the buses only started the route on 1st April 1962 and the other was transferred to a different garage and route on 15th January 1964. Given the caption in the book of Buses in Oxford Street 1962 and the clothing I would suggest the time frame is April 1962 through to perhaps September 1962.
TonyBrooks said:
The Red Tornado Talisman is me driving it on a HRCR event a few years ago - the car is now in Japan. The photo behind the alloy 'buck' of the Talisman is a the new Lotus Elan. Taken at the Williams & Pritchard works where the Talisman project progressed very smoothly whilst the Elan project ran into many issues. Apparently every time Colin Chapman visited to check on progress he used to kick the Talisman's tyres in frustration. It is not widely known that Tornado and Lotus agreed to combine their business but the bankers to Lotus pulled the plug at the last moment. It would have been good to see a Lotus Twin Cam in the Talisman although I believe one was subsequently built (along with a V8 version from the SP250). All the details are in the book "Winds of Change" by Martyn Morgan Jones.
That's interesting, I took a sequence of pix of your car. If you would like FOC copies please send me a PM and I'll arrange it for you..Gassing Station | Classic Cars and Yesterday's Heroes | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff