Power About Dutton
Dutton Cars, based in Worthing, England, was a maker of kit cars between 1970 and 1989. In terms of numbers of kits produced, it was for a time the largest kit car manufacturer in the world.
The company was founded by Tim Dutton Wooley and ran from a small workshop where a series of cars based on the P1 prototype were built, no two being the same. Things stabilised in October 1971 when a production model, the B-Type appeared with a more or less standard specification and based on Triumph Herald components. A move was also made to a larger factory in Tangmere, Chichester.
In 1979 Dutton announced the Sierra, an estate car with off-road looks. The Sierra name was also planned to be used by Ford who claimed sole rights. A court case resulted and Dutton won the right to continue with the name on kit cars as the judge ruled that these were a separate category from assembled cars. Dutton was awarded costs against Ford and gained immense publicity. The Sierra is claimed to be the biggest selling kit car ever. A further move to larger premises back in Worthing was made in the same year with glass fibre body making at a separate works in Lancing.
By 1984 70 people were employed and production topped 1000. In 1989 the company was closed down and the designs sold. A new model had been developed called the Maroc, a heavily modified Ford Fiesta with convertible body, and this was made by Hacker Engineering in Littlehampton. Initially it was available as a factory finished car but prices became too high and from 1993 kit versions were made available. The design has been sold on to Novus of Bolney, Sussex and a modified version is still available (2006).
