Dellow
Encyclopedia
Dellow cars were made in a factory at Alvechurch
, near Birmingham
, England between 1949 and 1956.
Dellow Motors Ltd was started by Ken Delingpole and Ron Lowe to produce road-going sports car
s for the enthusiast to use in trials
, rallies and hill-climbs.
A small number of very early cars used Austin 7 chassis as per Ron Lowe's special, FUY 374.The other protypes included OP 3835 owned by Earl "Mick" Heighway, HAB 245 (Eric Penn) CAB 282 (Lewis Tracey) and EDE 384 (Merrick)From 1950, with scrap Austin 7's in short supply,Dellows used an 1172cc Ford
10 engine in an A-frame
chassis
with a very light tubular steel framework welded to the chassis and panelled in aluminium
, early cars having no doors. The chassis frames were made partly from government surplus chrome-molybdenum rocket
tubes, the rockets being RP3 types as used by Hawker Typhoon
and Bristol Beaufighter
aircraft.
The design emphasis was on light weight and a rearward weight bias for trials. Many sporting awards were won by drivers of Dellow cars in the early 1950s, not only in trials but also in other events such as driving tests and hillclimbs. Dellows also took overall honours in the MCC organised Daily Express National Rally and the Circuit of Ireland Rally
.
Dellow drivers often shone in other forms of motor sport, Tony Marsh from Kinver
went on to become RAC Hill Climb Champion on no less than 6 occasions. Peter Collins
from Kidderminster
, later drove for HWM, BRM and Vanwall, then for Ferrari.
Dellow styling was created by Lionel Evans at his Radpanels coachbuilding business in Kidderminster. The car evolved through several variants known as Mk I to Mk V. Early cars had the Ford beam front axle with transverse spring and short Panhard rod, quarter elliptics at the rear and Andre Hartford friction dampers all round. The Ford torque-tube was suitably shortened and the vast majority of cars used the 3-speed Ford gearbox but a very small number of cars (KOX 300 being one of them) were produced to customer order with a 4 speed gearbox, from the 10M series Morris.
The Ford E93A engines were mildly tuned and many used twin SU's on a cast alloy 'Dellow' manifold. However, as an option the factory also offered the car with a Wade-Ventor (Roots type) supercharger installation.
The MkII saw the introduction of a new and much more robust rear chassis section with coil springs, separate telescopic shock absorbers and a Panhard rod. This stiffer chassis allowed doors to become an optional fitting.
The Mk V version was derived from the "Lightweight" Dellow (WRF 81) constructed by Tony Marsh for speed events in 1954. It saw coil springs introduced at the front (over telescopic dampers) although still with a one-piece Ford beam axle.
About 300 Dellows in total are believed to have been constructed.
A new company, Dellow Engineering, based in Oldbury near Birmingham produced a Mk VI - often incorrectly quoted as having a glass fibre body, it too was in fact built with alloy panelling. Very few Mk VI's were made.
Alvechurch
Alvechurch is a large village and civil parish of Bromsgrove district, in the northeast of the county of Worcestershire, England. Lying in the valley of the River Arrow, the nearest city is Birmingham, 17 km / 11 miles to the north, with the closest towns being Redditch, 8 km / 5 miles...
, near Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, England between 1949 and 1956.
Dellow Motors Ltd was started by Ken Delingpole and Ron Lowe to produce road-going sports car
Sports car
A sports car is a small, usually two seat, two door automobile designed for high speed driving and maneuverability....
s for the enthusiast to use in trials
Classic Trials
Classic Trials are one of the oldest forms of motor sport, dating from the beginning of the 20th century. In those days, the challenge was just to make a long road journey. The three Motor Cycling Club long distance trials in the UK – the Lands End, the Exeter and the Edinburgh – date...
, rallies and hill-climbs.
A small number of very early cars used Austin 7 chassis as per Ron Lowe's special, FUY 374.The other protypes included OP 3835 owned by Earl "Mick" Heighway, HAB 245 (Eric Penn) CAB 282 (Lewis Tracey) and EDE 384 (Merrick)From 1950, with scrap Austin 7's in short supply,Dellows used an 1172cc Ford
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
10 engine in an A-frame
A-Frame
An A-frame is a basic structure designed to bear a load in a lightweight economical manner. The simplest form of an A-frame is two similarly sized beams, arranged in a 45-degree or greater angle, attached at the top...
chassis
Chassis
A chassis consists of an internal framework that supports a man-made object. It is analogous to an animal's skeleton. An example of a chassis is the underpart of a motor vehicle, consisting of the frame with the wheels and machinery.- Vehicles :In the case of vehicles, the term chassis means the...
with a very light tubular steel framework welded to the chassis and panelled in aluminium
Aluminium
Aluminium or aluminum is a silvery white member of the boron group of chemical elements. It has the symbol Al, and its atomic number is 13. It is not soluble in water under normal circumstances....
, early cars having no doors. The chassis frames were made partly from government surplus chrome-molybdenum rocket
Rocket
A rocket is a missile, spacecraft, aircraft or other vehicle which obtains thrust from a rocket engine. In all rockets, the exhaust is formed entirely from propellants carried within the rocket before use. Rocket engines work by action and reaction...
tubes, the rockets being RP3 types as used by Hawker Typhoon
Hawker Typhoon
The Hawker Typhoon was a British single-seat fighter-bomber, produced by Hawker Aircraft. While the Typhoon was designed to be a medium-high altitude interceptor, and a direct replacement for the Hawker Hurricane, several design problems were encountered, and the Typhoon never completely satisfied...
and Bristol Beaufighter
Bristol Beaufighter
The Bristol Type 156 Beaufighter, often referred to as simply the Beau, was a British long-range heavy fighter modification of the Bristol Aeroplane Company's earlier Beaufort torpedo bomber design...
aircraft.
The design emphasis was on light weight and a rearward weight bias for trials. Many sporting awards were won by drivers of Dellow cars in the early 1950s, not only in trials but also in other events such as driving tests and hillclimbs. Dellows also took overall honours in the MCC organised Daily Express National Rally and the Circuit of Ireland Rally
Circuit of Ireland Rally
The Circuit of Ireland International Rally is an annual automobile rally, which was first held in 1931 making it the second oldest rally in the world. The most recent event was held in 2010....
.
Dellow drivers often shone in other forms of motor sport, Tony Marsh from Kinver
Kinver
Kinver is a large village in South Staffordshire district, Staffordshire, England. It is in the far south-west of the county, at the end of the narrow finger of land surrounded by the counties of Shropshire, Worcestershire and the West Midlands. The nearest towns are Stourbridge in the West...
went on to become RAC Hill Climb Champion on no less than 6 occasions. Peter Collins
Peter Collins (racing driver)
Peter John Collins was a Formula One driver from England. He participated in 35 World Championship Grands Prix, debuting on 18 May 1952. He won 3 races, achieved 9 podiums, and scored a total of 47 championship points....
from Kidderminster
Kidderminster
Kidderminster is a town, in the Wyre Forest district of Worcestershire, England. It is located approximately seventeen miles south-west of Birmingham city centre and approximately fifteen miles north of Worcester city centre. The 2001 census recorded a population of 55,182 in the town...
, later drove for HWM, BRM and Vanwall, then for Ferrari.
Dellow styling was created by Lionel Evans at his Radpanels coachbuilding business in Kidderminster. The car evolved through several variants known as Mk I to Mk V. Early cars had the Ford beam front axle with transverse spring and short Panhard rod, quarter elliptics at the rear and Andre Hartford friction dampers all round. The Ford torque-tube was suitably shortened and the vast majority of cars used the 3-speed Ford gearbox but a very small number of cars (KOX 300 being one of them) were produced to customer order with a 4 speed gearbox, from the 10M series Morris.
The Ford E93A engines were mildly tuned and many used twin SU's on a cast alloy 'Dellow' manifold. However, as an option the factory also offered the car with a Wade-Ventor (Roots type) supercharger installation.
The MkII saw the introduction of a new and much more robust rear chassis section with coil springs, separate telescopic shock absorbers and a Panhard rod. This stiffer chassis allowed doors to become an optional fitting.
The Mk V version was derived from the "Lightweight" Dellow (WRF 81) constructed by Tony Marsh for speed events in 1954. It saw coil springs introduced at the front (over telescopic dampers) although still with a one-piece Ford beam axle.
About 300 Dellows in total are believed to have been constructed.
A new company, Dellow Engineering, based in Oldbury near Birmingham produced a Mk VI - often incorrectly quoted as having a glass fibre body, it too was in fact built with alloy panelling. Very few Mk VI's were made.
Cars
- Dellow Prototypes -1947 - Ford 10 powered Austin 7 chassis
- Dellow Mk I - 1949 - Ford 10 powered basic 2 seater
- Dellow Mk II - 1951 - Optional doors, rear coil springs
- Dellow Mk III - 1952 - 2+2 model
- Dellow Mk IV - 1954? - one-off with Ford Consul engine
- Dellow Mk V - 1954 - Coil sprung beam front axle, tuned engine, Mk Vs still only had the 3 speed box although the "Lightweight" WRF 81, now owned by Nigel Brown, had a 4 speed ex-Morris unit (information from David Haley of the Dellow register.)
- Dellow Mk VI - 1957 - Independent front suspension, ladder chassis