Newsletter No. 7 - December 2001

The International Weekend at Malvern gave me the opportunity to see many interesting projects and talk to people who were enthusiastic about their cars. I was particularly impressed with the Revington fuel-injected Italia. The whole vehicle is restored to a very high standard and yet there has been no hesitation to either modify or improve the mechanical specification and bodywork. I only wish that I could afford to let Neil loose on a Doretti to see how it would turn out.

It was also nice to see that the Peerless and Warwick Register had a good turnout of cars and it reminded me that my own Warwick is still waiting for a suspension rebuild. But before this turns into a Derivative Diary, we should move on to the main topic of the Doretti. For various reasons there were no Swallows at this year's event, but next year I would really like to see us put on a good display in preparation for the 50th anniversary celebration in 2003. Planning has already started to commemorate this significant point in your car's history and if you have any suggestions to help us mark the event, please let me know.

A few weeks later at the three-day Silverstone Historic Festival we had a great opportunity to gain a considerable amount of public exposure and also enjoy the sights and sounds of many well-known racing cars. Unfortunately the poor turnout of Dorettis did not do justice to Duncan Rabagliati's efforts in arranging a substantial marquee in a very good location. The nicely restored light blue NGG 533, chassis no.1211, owned by Roger Giles made its first show appearance and was accompanied by Colin Shirley in OCR 374, Russell Crawford in RLK 488 and Josie Bishop's PON 419, chassis no.1147.

The August/September 2001 issue of British Car, a US car magazine, has an excellent Doretti article by Bill Farr of Surrey Motorsports. For about 20 years Chassis No.1079 languished in a Detroit garage until Bill was asked to consider the viability of restoring the car. Accident damage to the front and rear of the car together with the usual rust problems involved a considerable amount of work to both the steel and the aluminium panels. Mechanically, the car was completely overhauled and the interior trim was totally replaced. A missing radiator grille surround was handmade from sheet brass and all other chrome items re-plated. The proud owner, Ronald Harper of Atlanta, Georgia, now has a car that should attract lots of attention.

One of the most noticeable traits of a Doretti owner is his or her willingness to personalise their car, consequently I cannot ever recall seeing an original car. Every car seems to have had something added, modified, or just removed because the owner thought it would improve the car. Frequently I see classic car owners obsessed with originality, polishing their prized possessions that are only distinguishable from similar models by their colour and registration number.

Many years ago, a friend of mine explained that cars could have a character the moment they are built. Character or the lack of it is in the hands of the designer. On the other hand a new car does not have a personality. Personality is a quality that develops over time and during a relationship with its owner. The willingness of a Doretti owner to allow the car to acquire a personality is reflected in the individual nature of each vehicle and the very strong attachment that many owners feel towards their Doretti. I have never seen two Dorettis alike, every car is distinctive and a celebration of individuality over conformity.

Don’t forget that if you would like your Doretti featured on the website, you can send pictures and information to me at E-mail: swallow@doretti.co.uk

Finally, remember that anything you try to fix will take longer and cost more than you first thought.

Newsletter No. 1 Feb 2000
Newsletter No. 2 Jan 2001
Newsletter No. 3 May 2001
Newsletter No. 4 June 2001
Newsletter No. 5 July 2001
Newsletter No. 6 Sept 2001