Dutton Phaeton Series 3

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Founded in Worthing by Tim Dutton Woolley in 1969, Dutton Cars remained in business for the next 20 years and, by the 1980s, was the largest kit car manufacturer in the world, employing 80 staff and producing 20 cars a week.

Around a dozen different kits were made (initially based on the MG Midget or the Triumph Herald, but later using Ford Cortina or Escort running gear), including the Sierra, the Rico and the Malaga. By far the most enduring was the Phaeton, a Ford Escort-based kit that remained in production from 1977 right up until the demise of Dutton in 1989, going through four series of development along the way.

First registered in November 1983, this particular car is a Dutton Phaeton Series 3 which was originally built using Ford Escort running gear and a 1.3-litre Ford engine but, sadly, this unit has long since been removed and the car no longer has an engine or a gearbox, although much of the other Escort running gear is still in place, as is the interior and the weather gear, including hood and sidescreens.

Being offered here at no reserve, it offers a blank canvas into which the winning bidder can slot an engine and gearbox of their own choice to make a fun little car for use on road or track. It comes with various useful ancillaries which are stored in the boot, including a radiator and cooling fan, and also has a modern V5C.