Gran Turismo on a shoestring: The Rochdale GT

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Although it might not look like it today, when it was launched in 1957 the Rochdale GT was, in its own small way, a revolutionary car.

By the mid-1950s there was a a thriving industry in the UK manufacturing fibreglass body shells to convert a tired old saloon into something that at least resembled a sports car, even if the performance didn't quite match up. The problem was these new outfits weren't quite as simple to install as their makers had you believe: they really were just shells, and bonnets, boot lids and even doors had to be cut out by hand. Wheel arches and bulkheads had to be fabricated from scratch and marrying the rigid steel chassis to the floppy plastic body required a large degree of ingenuity, mixed with a little luck.

The Rochdale GT simplified things. The car was designed round a single set of components. Wheel arches, bulkheads and door shuts were all part of the shell. The car came as a complete kit, with all the glass and accessories required to put it on the road – there was even a full interior kit available. The GT was a stepping stone between the early days of special building and the soon to be booming 'component car' industry of the 1960s and '70s.

It was practical, too, with a fixed roof and enough room – at a pinch – for two adults and two children. The with the usual array of tuning parts bolted to the smoky Ford Popular engine it could even be made to perform relatively well. Was it a real Gran Turismo? Probably not, but for the average man in the street on a tight budget, it was a pretty good facsimile.

In the latest issue of The Automobile, Jeroen Booij tells the full story of the model's design and development and examines a rare survivor.  (photos Jeroen Booij) 

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