Swallow Doretti

[doretti]

Swallow Doretti – mystery car. This car, 949 ANK is recorded as a 1957 Lea Francis SORN by the DVLA. According to my information it has a superleggera type inner frame on a Jowett chassis with Doretti aluminium outer panels. The car has a Lea Francis 14hp engine and bears LF badges. It was last reported in the Goole, Yorkshire area, circa 1982 and the last V5 was issued in 1997. Any information about the car would be most welcome.

[Charlie D]

You probably know this but...

I searched on Google and found this quote from 2017

"As regards the Lea-Francis (I somehow felt sure this question would pop up!) the model was the Lea-Francis 14/70 drop-head-coupe, by 'Abbotts of Farnham.' The chassis number was C9168; the engine number 8285 (stamped on dynamo fixing lug); gearbox number: 3884. There is some confusion as to the car's original registration number; the 'log book' shows the car was registered 949 ANK, whilst a photograph of the car, and some handwritten notes in my possession shows the reg number as
EVG 290. The chassis was delivered "by Lea Francis lorry" to Abbotts in Farnham on 7 May 1951 on behalf of agents, Boshier & Pattenden, Norwich. This arrangement was unusual because the majority of Lea-Francis bodies were by Westland, near Hereford. Though the car was known to the LFOC in 1972/73, no ownership details since then. The car was designed by Abbott designer, Peter Woodgate, who also designed the 4-seater XK120, the Ferrari 212E and R Type Bentley, amongst others.

Naturally, full details and photographs will appear in my book early next year.

Best wishes to all. Len C Huff RD, Director E.D. Abbott Limited and Member of the Society of Automotive Historians"

949 ANK  seems to be a bit of a mystery from when it was new.

 

 

Edited January 13, 2025 by Charlie D

[Nigel C]

certainly looks like a wider track on the back than the front, is the LF rear axle wider than TR??

[Dic Doretti]

The Swallow Doretti used the TR2 Lockheed axle so the wheels sat well inside the arches, a TR4 axle is often substituted which fills the wheel arches nicely. The front track is the same as a TR4 not the TR2 so the TR4 axle makes the car look right. The rear axle on this car looks wider than a TR4 but it depends on whether the body is square on the chassis.

Cheers

Richard

[Charlie D]

On 1/13/2025 at 8:40 AM, doretti said:

949 ANK is recorded as a 1957 Lea Francis SORN by the DVLA

Just looking on the DVLA site and it does not actually say SORN, it just says "Not taxed for road use"

I occasionally look at vehicles I have previously owned and the letters SORN are prominently displayed.  Not so for 949 ANK so I guess who ever owns the car now has either forgotten to re-SORN it or has scrapped it.