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Rochdale Olympic [help needed?]

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duffy

duffy

Senior Member
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Hi, my name is Tony Stanton and I live in Redditch, Worcestershire, England. I have owned 4 Rochdale Olympic,s over the last 35year,s and I am researching in to Olympic,s imported in to America and Canada in the 1960,s.
I have written an article covering this period and placed it in Members Articles
https://www.britishcarforum.com/files/Tony_Stanton.pdf
If you know any details of the dealers or an Olympic in the 1960,s or currently, please contact me.
1961Oct20thAutocar.jpg

Advert in Autocar 20th October 1961.
earlyP1.jpg

Rochdale Olympic Phase 1 outside the factory in 1960.
 
Re: Rochdale Olympic

Cool car, it looks like a baby E-Type, with a little Porsche thrown in for good measure! I'm resisting that strong urge to call it "cute." /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/devilgrin.gif
 
Re: Rochdale Olympic

Camshaft said:
Cool car, it looks like a baby E-Type, with a little Porsche thrown in for good measure! I'm resisting that strong urge to call it "cute." /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/devilgrin.gif
Click to expand...

Porsche was my first thought too!
 
Re: Rochdale Olympic

And maybe a "touch" of Saab
 
Re: Rochdale Olympic

My favorite Rochdale was the GT

3.jpg


Anyone know what the production numbers were for both cars?
[edit]
Found it...
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:]Exact production figures for the various models are unknown, although the following are thought to be the best estimates. Alloy Bodies - 15 , Mark Six - 150 , F type - 50 , C type - 30 , ST - 100 , GT - 1350 , Riviera - 42 Phase 1 Olympic - 250 , Phase 2 Olympic - 150[/QUOTE]
 
Re: Rochdale Olympic

Found a pic. of the Rochdale Riviera.....Very nice looking also.

std_rochdale_riviera,_white_bodywork,_front_corner_view.jpg
 
Re: Rochdale Olympic

Very nice. Always liked them. I haven't heard of any in western Canada.
 
Re: Rochdale Olympic

Hi 78Z, If you read (Rochdale Olympic) in Members Articles you will see there are 3 Olympics in Canada, 1 in Ontario and 2 in Vancouver. The reason the front looks like a Porsche is that the Olympic, Riviera and the GT use VW headlight units as did Porsche in the 1950/60s, so the front wing lines and angles are similar. The rear is similar to an E-Type but the Olympic was released at the London Racing Car Show in January 1960 and the E-Type was released in March 1961.
VDK147.jpg

If anyone looks in Members Pictures you can see photos of my 1963 Olympic Phase 2.
If anyone can help with the lost Dealers and Olympics imported in the 1960s, please contact me. Regards Tony.
 
Re: Rochdale Olympic

That rear is just a bit reminiscent of an Alfa...

I love it! It's like an LBC with a bunch of my favorite European styling touches.
 
Re: Rochdale Olympic

Nope, that back end is definitely influenced by the Aston DB 2/4 MkIII hatchbacks.
 
Re: Rochdale Olympic

thanks for the links JP enjoyed them immenseley
 
Re: Rochdale Olympic

Hi John-Peter,
You are a star, I knew this friendly forum would come up with results. I know I came to this forum looking for Olympics in America and Canada, but of the 350 Olympics made between 1960 and 1970 we only know of around 100, so photos and info from anywhere in the world will be helpful.
Over the years I have learned lots of info can be seen by looking at the cars in the background of photos. I have had for 5 years this photo of a Dragster at Blackbush Dragfast in 1964 when Drag Raceing first came to England, cursing the arm on the left blocking the view of a Olympic.
JP has found a photo of the next Dragster in the line and I can now see the Olympic in full, which may help me trace its history.
Thanks John-Peter
 

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Re: Rochdale Olympic

and my wife says I waste my time looking at the internet /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif Glad to help but more of a fluke than anything. very cool though - what are the odds?
 
Re: Rochdale Olympic

Looks like it's the same bloke standing in the way in both pictures!!!
 
Re: Rochdale Olympic

Hi John-Peter,
Follow up to my Post on PATHE NEWS, I put drag racing in to the search and came up with a film of the 1964 Blackbushe Dragfast and there is a Red Rochdale Olympic parked nose to nose with a Dark Grey one.
nosetonose.jpg



Now this could make 4 Olympics at this meeting 1 as the B/W photo, the 2 in the colour photo and a Red one with cut out rear arches which was racing there and I know a little about, but the other 3 are new to me.

Regards
Tony
 
Re: Rochdale Olympic

WOW!...If that GT was over here...I'd be all over it /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/banana.gif

The Elva is about done...I NEED another basket case /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif
 
Re: Rochdale Olympic

Hi All,
It always happens you go on holiday for a week and a Olympic appears on e-bay, this car was sold for around £2500 ($5000) in England late last year with work to complete to get it on the road, I did not know it had been shipped to America. I hope somebody keen buys it and returns it to the road.
Meanwhile in my search for Olympics exported to America in the 1960s the car listed below, does anybody have copies of early 1964 ROAD & TRACK magazines and could find and scan the advert for me please.
Kind regards
Tony and "DUFFY"

Olympic Phase II. Chassis No ? Licence plate 5348 DK. Blue. LHD.Complete new running car collected in July 1963 from Rochdale, England. by Robin Rackman and taken on a Tour of Europe, then shipped from Holland to Chicago,USA.
1st owner, Robin Rackham, Elgin, Chicago, Illinor, USA. 1963 to 1964.
2nd owner? Sold in late summer 1964 (advert in Road & Track) to a young man from Kansas, USA. Car not heard of since?
 
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