Rodley

Tarkus · Mar 7, 2006

Hello to one and all,

Has anyone ever posted a topic on the 1950s "Rodley" car? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/england.gif It's a bit rare, I know. In fact only 1 survives I think, but god knows where it went since Classic & Sports Car unveiled it as one of the all time best finds of the 1980's. it seems to have dissappeared as soon as it was discovered??? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif

Nunyas · Mar 7, 2006

this thing?

TXCoyote · Mar 7, 2006

I can see why there is only one and it is in hiding!

tony barnhill · Mar 7, 2006

[ QUOTE ]
Straight through wings with wheels at the corners.

[/ QUOTE ]

???

kennypinkerton · Mar 7, 2006

I interpretted that as slab-sided fenders (straight through wings) - then something about a pontiac commercial (wider is better - wheels at the corners) /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/jester.gif

aeronca65t · Mar 7, 2006

Reminds me of "Rodley" Dangerfield.
It gets no respect!
Apparently has the J.A. Prestwich engine (like many Morgan trikes).

Welcome, Tarkus!

jlaird · Mar 7, 2006

Darn, I'd hide it too.

coldplugs · Mar 7, 2006

It was a borderline microcar (750cc was a large engine for a micro) built in 1954 & 1955. It was designed by Henry Brown, who also designed the Scootacar. They built 60 some odd cars, and they were intended to be sold by furniture stores. ("Co-operative Furniture Outlets" - I'm not familar with the name).

The engine installation was evidently pretty crude - most people couldn't take the vibration. The occasional fire in the sound insulation put them off, too.

JAP made a lot of unusual engines, including some under 100cc for scooters - they also did contract work for others. The early Lotus Twincam heads were made by them. Lotus pulled the work in-house to try to correct porosity problems with the JAP heads. I think Villiers, Anzani, and Excelsior were more common in micros than JAPs.

There were probably 100 companies that entered the micro car business in the fifties in England - Allard was one most people have heard of.

kennypinkerton · Mar 7, 2006

My favorite 3 microcars are the messerschmitt (sp?) bubble car (200 something), the Isetta, and the fiat 500.

Any car HAS to have some kind of nice curves to it for me to like it... and yes even the Lambo Countach has a Few curves hidden amongst all those angular lines. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

swift6 · Mar 7, 2006

[ QUOTE ]
Any car HAS to have some kind of nice curves to it for me to like it... and yes even the Lambo Countach has a Few curves hidden amongst all those angular lines. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

Where are those? Oh yeah! The tires have curves. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/jester.gif

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cheers.gif

kennypinkerton · Mar 7, 2006

trust me, there's a few subtle curves in a countach... tops of the front fenders, tops of the rear fenders, the windscreen. <whispers> that's about it until you open the engine cover.

AngliaGT · Mar 7, 2006

Why?

- Doug

swift6 · Mar 7, 2006

Okay, there is some "curve" to the tops of the rear and front fenders. But the windscreen is pretty darn flat on the real thing. Take a closer look.

My first Lamborghini Countach experience was when I was 17. I rode in a red 5000QV with gold wheels. I was actually allowed to drive that same car six months later. Yep, I drove a Countach when I was 17. It scared the poo out of me but I think I smiled for six weeks, even in my sleep! The same person that owned the red 5000QV also owned a Jalpa. A very interesting car.

Last summer I helped wire fog lights into a black 500S that was having the front repainted (rock chip damage) by the same body man that painted my TR6. While doing that I had a good time reading through the "owners manual". It turns out that Lamborghini only really printed one "owners manual" but every car is nearly different in some little way that doesn't match the "owners manual". The car the book is based on is probably in Sant'Agata. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cheers.gif

kennypinkerton · Mar 7, 2006

Cool!

...but trust me. the factory windscreen is curved just a bit - hehehehehe.

JamesWilson · Mar 8, 2006

[ QUOTE ]
... and they were intended to be sold by furniture stores. ("Co-operative Furniture Outlets" - I'm not familar with the name).

[/ QUOTE ]

This sounds like it was probably "The Co-op", a major retailer that still exists. They started up in the mid-1800s and most towns had a co-op store. If these were to be sold by the co-op its was potentially a large sales network, though with no service capability. As I recall Sears in the US sold mopeds around the same time, did they try selling cars too? That, or Montgomery Wards, would be the most comparable sort of store in the US.

coldplugs · Mar 8, 2006

[ QUOTE ]

This sounds like it was probably "The Co-op", a major retailer that still exists. .....As I recall Sears in the US sold mopeds around the same time, did they try selling cars too? ...

[/ QUOTE ]

That sounds exactly right - I thought it must have been a large chain but also thought it might have some sort of local government connection, which it appears not to have.

Sears sold cars for a short time under the name of "Allstate". These were re-branded Henry J's, I think. They even sold prefab houses at one time, and some survive.

DrEntropy · Mar 8, 2006

coldplugs wrote:

[ QUOTE ]
Sears sold cars for a short time under the name of "Allstate". These were re-branded Henry J's, I think. They even sold prefab houses at one time, and some survive.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yup, Henry J's they were. The houses were a subject of a PBS proggy called "The Detectives" a while back, IIRC. They found a few of these. It was said the wood laminate and "particle" board was of such a stout construction is was as-new when current owners went at remodeling. Interesting, considering the way NEW housing is made.

tony barnhill · Mar 8, 2006

Doc, I know where there's a big old 2-story Sears house....beautiful thing...oh, Sears also made motorcycles called Allstates.

Roger · Mar 8, 2006

I do remember (Lord, I'm getting old) and James is right about the Co-op (Co-Operative Wholesale Society) which back then was a membership society rather than a normal commercial retail company.

tony barnhill · Mar 8, 2006

Sort of like Costco today.

Rodley

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