Topic: Puzzle #39 - Solved! Rochdale Olympic Phase One Lightweight

[Otto Puzzell]

Know what it is?

Please, respond below and let us know what make and model you think you see here.


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Thanks!

[SeaLion]

Aaah, this is a nice little sportscar. It is the british Rochdale Olympic, made from 1960-1962 and as Olympic II from 1963-1972. Rochdale Olympic was a GRP selfbearing monocock construction (as the Lotus Elite in 1957). The mechanical parts came from Riley 1.5 with coil springs for the rear live axle. The later Olympic II switched from BMC parts to Ford Cortina ditto with Triumph Herald double wishbones front suspension. Olympic had a build-in crash loop, so the car was safe for its time.

[Otto Puzzell]

Well done!

Specifically, it's a Rochdale Olympic Phase One Lightweight, one of only four such cars built by Rochdale Motor Panels. The car was ordered in lightweight form to compete in Sports and GT races, and was built around components from a Lola Rejo.

The specification of the car is quite interesting in that the front suspension is a combination of standard Rochdale Olympic (Riley 1.5) uprights onto which have been grafted the hubs, discs, calipers etc from a Lola Rejo, the front wheels also are Lola magnesium alloy, the rears being Brabham magnesium alloy.