Rochdale Articles

There aren't that many books that include information about the Rochdale Olympic. At best it usually gets a mention on one page, though the kit car reviews from the 1960s tended to provide a more fully developed discussion. I've listed the few books that I've found, but there could be more... any suggestions would be gratefully received and added to the list with credit to the contributor, if desired....

The list of articles is fairly complete, I've used the list provided by the Rochdale Owners' Club as a starting point and have added to that using a standing search of e-bay offerings and enquiries of a couple specialist book stores. Again, any suggestions of additions would be gratefully received....

Item	Magazine	Year	Month	Title	Pages	Type	Comments	Car
1	The Motor	1958	Sept 3rd	Transformation to Gran Turismo	163-4	Overview	GT Ad, p.10	GT: EBV 358
2	Autosport	1959	Jan 2	A Grand Tourer for ₤140!	20	Review	Rochdale GT Body
3	Motoring News	1960	03-Nov	Olympic Announced	1	Photo on Front Page
4	Sporting Motorist	1960	Dec	Performance Equipment Review	592-3	Overview	Photo of Underside
5	Sports Car & Lotus Owner	1960	Dec	New Bodies for Specials	364-5	Overview
6	The Motor	1960	Dec 21st	The Rochdale Olympic	797-8	Overview, Photo of Mold	Reprinted as Promotional Flyer, Ad p. 27	VDK 147
7	Motor Racing	1961	Jan	Trade Exhibitors - Stand by Stand	16-33	Stand Noted + Photo (p. 29)
8	Sporting Motorist	1961	Feb	Round the Racing Car Show	61-64	Report + Photo
9	Sporting Motorist	1961	Mar	Riley-Engined Rochdale Olympic	134-6	Road Test, + Ad p. 141	Reprinted as Promotional Flyer
10	Motor Sport	1961	June	The Rochdale Olympic	460-2	Review		VDK 147
11	The Motor	1961	June 7th	The Rochdale Olympic	725-8	Review		VDK 147
12	The Motor	1961	July 19th	Parker Letter re Cooling
13	Autosport	1961	Oct-27	Olivers Mount Hill Climb	599	Report	with Photo	N.L. Hodkin's Olympic
14	The Motor	1961	Dec 27th	Kit Coupes	854-5	Comparison
15	Motor Clubman	1962	Jan	British Kit Cars	no #	Overview		VDK 147
16	Motor Racing	1962	Jan	Trade Exhibitors - Stand by Stand	20-30	Stand Noted + Photo (p. 30)
17	Practical Motorist	1962	Jan	Racing Car Show	486	B & W Photo + paragraph		VDK 147
18	Practical Motorist	1962	Mar	Rochdale Olympic	720	Review
19	Autocar	1963	Jan 25th	International Racing Car Show	149-55	Stand Noted (p. 154 + Photo, p. 153)		VDK 147
20	Autosport	1963	Jan 25th	To be seen at the show…	126-7	Olympia Racing Car Show	Photo of Ph.2
21	The Motor	1963	23-Jan	The Racing Car Show - Kit Cars	612-3	Comment
22	Motor Racing	1963	Feb	Trade Exhibitors - Stand by Stand	60-9	Stand Noted (p. 57)
23	Car Mechanics	1963	Mar	Rooney's Rochdale	71	Build & Driving Impressions	GT	428 COH
24	Sports Car World	1963	Mar	Grand Touring - on a Budget	20-1, 66	Overview		VDK 147
25	Practical Motorist	1963	Apr	Pep Talk	787	Phase II introduced		N/A
26	Motor Sport	1963	June	What are the Small Firms Doing?	407-9	Comparison
27	Practical Motorist	1963	June	Rochdale Olympic Phase II	1024	Review	Reprinted as Promotional Flyer	4625 DK
28	Autocar	1964	24-Jan	International Racing Car Show	161-8	Stand Noted (p. 167)
29	Autocar	1964	Feb 28th	Rochdale Olympic Phase II	388-9	Road Test
30	Motor Racing	1964	Feb	Trade Exhibitors - Stand by Stand	67-74	Stand Noted (p. 73)
31	Motor Sport	1964	Feb	Rochdale Olympic Phase II	79-80	Road Test	Reprinted as Promotional Flyer	4625 DK
32	Practical Motorist	1964	Feb	Racing Car Show
33	Road & Track	1964	July	Market Place (Reader's Ads)	96	Ad + Photo
34	Car	1964	Dec	Rochdale Olympic Phase II			Reprinted in Fun Car, 1972
35	Practical Motorist	1964	Dec	Rochdale Olympic GT	439	Review	Critical- poorly prepared car	4625 DK
36	Small Car	1964	Dec	Giant Road Test TVR Grantura vs Rochdale Olympic Ph 2	48-57	Comparison	Olympic vs. TVR Grantura
37	The Motor	1965	Jan 16th	2 of a Kind	94-6	Comparison
38	Motor Sport	1965	Feb	Building and Running a Rochdale	81-5,119	Build & Driving Impressions
39	Motoring News	1966	03-Nov	Kit vs Production	10-11	Comparison to MGB	Built by staff, very complimentary	CNK 210B
40	Motor	1967	Dec 23rd	The Road that Died	36-7	Story	A Rochdale that burned all away...
41	Hot Car	1969	June	Custom Cars- Spencer's Special	34	Reader's Car	Phase II photo	VWT 14 (4???)
42	Automotive News (USA)	1970	June 29th	US Manufacture Planned
43	Fun Car	1972	Annual ?	Rochdale Lives	16-17, 28	Overview of Rochdale		4625 DK
44	Auto	1973	July	No. 2 Rochdale Olympic
45	Cars & Car Conversions	1974	Apr	In Car Entertainment	42-5	Radio installation
46	Thoroughbred & Classic Cars	1978	Aug	Rochdale Olympic	22-5	Overview	Nice Cut-away drawing	4625 DK
47	Alternative Cars	1979	Winter	Rare Birds / Club Report	14, 78, 84	Women with Kit Cars	Photo of Anna Morris + Olympic	p. 78 BYA 213B
48	Alternative Cars	1980	Autumn	Donington Kit Car Show	43	Photo		152 AWR, JJH 20G
49	Alternative Cars	1981	June/July	FSCC AGM	80	Report	Riviera Photo	GT: OTG 50
50	Alternative Cars	1981	Aug/Sept	Club Reports	73, 82	Report		205 P??, ??? 231A
51	Alternative Cars	1981	Oct/Nov	FSCC Goodwood	42	Report	Olympic Photo	GUY 541C
52	Alternative Cars	1982	Nov/Dec	Old Flame	58-65	Review & Driving Impressions	Excellent Article & Good Pictures	1523 DF, CTO 289R, 902 DUF, 9557 LJ
53	Classic & Sports Car	1983	May	A-Z of Specials	99-102	Survey of Manufacturers	Photos of Pre-Olympic models
54	Kit Car	1983	Sept	The Sporting Sixties	61-2	Comment		Photo ??? ?73L Ph 2
55	Sports Car Mechanics	1983	Nov/Dec	Kit Car Scene	65-6	Comment
56	Rochdale Observer	1984	Jan 7th	Olympic Flyer		Newspaper Article
57	Sports Car Mechanics	1984	Mar/Apr	Kit Car Scene	18-9	Rochdale Resurrection
58	Sports Car Mechanics	1984	July/Aug	Write Off	48	Reader's Letter re Molds
59	The Car	1985	No. 62	Rochdale	1238	Bare Profile of Rochdale Olympic	Color Photo & Paragraph	109 WPJ
60	Sporting Cars	1985	Feb	The Rochdale Alternative	10	Review		444 PH
61	Thoroughbred & Classic Cars	1985	July	Olympic Moulds found
62	Classic & Sports Car	1985	Oct	Worthy - Olympic (non) runner	16	Riviera (derelict) with Photo
63	Thoroughbred & Classic Cars	1986	May	Olympic Games	59-63	Profile of Rochdale		405 CWU
64	Component & Specialist Car	1986	August	Cheshire Cheers	36-7	Capesthorne Kit Car Show	Several cars in photo, Porsche look-alike	1523 DF, Others
65	Kit Car	1987	Apr	Rochdale into Porsche will go	26-9	Rebuild/Upgrade	Modified to look like 911	FJF 47R
66	Classic & Sports Car	1987	May	Olympic Games	115-9	Profile of Rochdale	Pictures of Early cars too	LYG 741D / FRU 12D
67	Classic & Sports Car	1987	Dec	Rochdale Rarities	23	Discovered derelicts	ST & GT
68	Specialist Sportscars	1987	Dec	Porschdale
69	Classic & Sports Car	1989	Sept	First Rochdale	17	AKH Special with Photo		MBU 309
70	Practical Classics	1990	Aug	Classic Plastic	87-92	Comparison	Olympic vs. Berkeley, TVR, Turner	966 SJH
71	Kit Car	1990	Sept	Special Arrangements	30-1	Overview		7830 TD
72	Classic Cars	1991	Aug	Norwich Union Classic	26-33	Drive- Bath to Donnington	Photo, p. 33	BHU 404A
73	Classic & Sports Car	1994	Aug	Rochdale - Morris Based	34	F type
74	Practical Classics	1994	Sept	Reader's Restoration	10-11	Reader's GT Restoration		DJH 622
75	Classic & Sports Car	1995	Jan	Kit Cousins	19	GT		DUL 885J
76	Classic Cars	1996	Apr	Clash of the Coupes	94-102	Comparison	Olympic vs. Porsche 356 TVR, Alfa, Gilbern	TVW 91E
77	Classics	1997	Nov	Icons & Imitators	58-9	Profiles	Compared to Porsche
78	Classic Cars	1998	June	Olympic Games	74-8	Rebuild/Upgrade	Richard Parker	902 DUF
79	het Automobiel (Dutch)	1998	Sept			maybe 1988?
80	Classic Cars	1998	Nov	Rochdale Olympic	126-9	Buyer's Guide		RXG 715
81	Kit Car International	1998	????	Rochdale Cars 50th Anniversary	46-53	Overview		1523 DF, 205 FDM, 8338 PW, CTO 289R, VDK 147; GT: EBV 358, KS 101; Mk VI: LBU 437; F Type: LBU 349
82	Practical Classics	2000	Spring	Rallying Cry	60-5	Driving Impressions	Le Jog Rally	UFF 354
83	Practical Classics	2001	Spring	Rust in Peace	73	Stretched Rochdale Prototype	GT - 4 inches longer in bonnet	DTU 4K
84	Practical Classics	2001	Spring	A Really Useful Engine	30-41	Review of Cars Using the BMC "A" Engine	Liked the Olympic Best!	7830 TD
85	Classics	2001	July-Aug	Streets, cars and streetcars	30-1	Street scenes	Sheffield, 1964	GT, described only as a "Ford-based special"
86	Classic Cars	2001	Aug	Capesthorne
87	Rochdale Observer	2002	July 24th	Back Where They Belong	Web	Newspaper Article
88	Oldtimer Markt	2002	May	Struer-Spar- (Tax Savings Model)	44-8	Review & Driving Impressions	Good General Article & Pictures	8668 PW
89	Daily Telegraph	2002	July 27th	Olympic Gold	Web	Newspaper Article
90	Classics	2002	Oct	Rochdale's Pioneers	54-8	Overview of Rochdale		Olympic: VDK 147, GT: DDK 359
91	Classic Car Monthly	2002	Dec	Classic Car Show NEC
92	Sports Car Classics	2003	Oct	Rare Breeds	46-8	FSCC Specials Day		?NN 600C?, 902 DUF, GT: 620 MMX
93	Sports Car Classics	2003	Nov
94	Which Kit	2006	Jan
95	Which Kit	2006	Mar
96	Complete Kit	2008	July
97	Complete Kit	2008	Aug
98	Rev Counter	2008	Oct	Chasin' the Haggis Tour 2008	11-13	Club tour of Scottish Highlands		XDR 430
99	Practical Classics	2009	Apr	Barn Find Hunter's Guide	18-23	GT derelict photo- p. 21
100	Practical Classics	2009	Sept	The Market	10-11	Value in Rarity: H & H Auction Result	Photo

Video:

From Youtube: An Interior view from a Rochdale racing.

From Youtube: An Olympic autocrossing somewhere in England.

A Rochdale Olympic Phase 2 at an unknown autocross,

Very poor quality and what I consider an annoying soundtrack....