Rochdale Olympic
Healey Journal
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This page provides a brief discussion of my Olympic and how I came to get it; along with an overview of the Olympic's design and production. Other pages provide an overview of the magazine articles and books that discuss Rochdale Olympics, another showing some of the promotional materials and advertizing used. The history of my car has a page too. Improvements too will be entered onto their own page as I make them....
My Olympic and How I Got it...
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The Rochdale Olympic is one of the more unusual and rare British Sports coupés. Only 400 were produced between 1961 and 1973 with almost all were made before 1967. It's estimated that there are around 100 left with between 20 and 30 in roadworthy condition. Rochdale was one of the most prominent post-war makers of "Specials"- sports car bodies designed for installation on Ford chassis. The Olympic was their most sophisticated effort: a fully monocoque fiberglass car designed to be used with readily available suspension components from contemporary small saloon cars. Only the Lotus Elite shared this design but where that car was built up from dozens of individual sections the Olympic was moulded in a single, integrated whole giving a stronger and more effective body. This was a radical use of alternative materials technology, and its uniqueness marks it out from other contemporary kit-cars.
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This picture was used for the 2009 British Car Forum Calendar for February. You can see the calendar and order one from: |
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My car was originally built in 1962 from a kit by someone in Devon and bounced around the country until it ended up with Mr. Ron Collins of Edinburgh, from whom I bought it in April, 2008. Interestingly, this was also the first one I'd ever seen- some 6 years before when attending a car show with the Austin Healey Club... little did I realize then that the interesting and appealing little car just sitting parked in the field would become mine. I'd seen the car then and taken a good look at it but the owner wasn't around. In the summer of 2007 I thought I could see the end of working on my Jensen-Healey in sight and thought that it would be nice to have another old car to play with once that was done. I remembered the Olympic and did a little research and became very interested in getting one. I joined the Rochdale Owners Club despite not owning one and started gathering information about them, buying all the back issues of the Club magazine and tracking down as many of the articles about it as I could find. I was given the contact details of an owner in Edinburgh but didn't pursue that any further.
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Ron had put a LOT of effort into making the interior look good. Unlike many kit cars this is a highly finished one- though I admit I'd prefer a darker blue, or even black.... |
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Then, in January, 2008 I felt I knew enough about them to ask semi-intelligent questions and look at one without seeming entirely ignorant; and I felt that I could seriously speak to people about buying one in a reasonably near future. So I contacted Ron. One thing lead to another and I soon discovered his car had just been put up for sale. The club magazine hadn't yet appeared so I was there before any "rush" started and we had an amicable chat, an agreeable look over it and a short drive; and soon concluded a deal where I acquired his car. Pretty painless, and a great deal less searching and inspecting cars and challenging projects than I'd previously imagined. And, unlike my Big Healey or Jensen Healey, it was in excellent condition except for a few minor cosmetic and general maintenance chores.
General Background on Rochdale Olympics
An excellent discussion of the Olympic and its development by Rochdale is on the Rochdale Owners' Club site:
LINKS TO Rochdale Owner's Club Site home page; an overview of the Company History and the History of the Olympic
This is far better and more extensive and authorative than anything I could say....
The Club is rather small with 120 members, more-or-less. It seems fairly active in attending car shows and having an AGM. It publishes a quarterly magazine with news, photos and good technical information; and the Club has the old moulds and can supply some body panels and has small stocks of other parts. I've only been to one AGM and have talked to a few members but I think that it's a quite a good Club. Most of the members live in England so it's a long haul for me to attend any events; and, apart from the AGM, even the English members seem too far spread out to have monthly social or other regular events.
Social & Drives
Although there are few Rochdales in Scotland I have been able to take it on a few "runs" with my friends from the Scottish branch of the Austin-Healey, just practicing until I get one of my Healeys on the road. I've taken it to the Isle of Skye with the "Chasin' the Haggis 2008" run and from the Mull of Galloway to Dunnet Head (1/2 way, as it happens- a few gearbox issues arose) on the "Chasin' the Haggis 2009" run. I hope to take it on a few more drives with other classic car clubs....
Copyright© 2008 James M. Wilson All rights reserved.