Autoavia Rochdale ST Photo

 Digital copy, image size approx 5.5 x 3.5 ins / 14 x 9 cms from an original factory photo of a Rochdale ST kit car.

Rochdale Motor Panels was founded in 1948 by Harry Smith and Frank Butterworth and initially made aluminium bodies to fit Austin 7 racers for 750 Motor Club race series. Although the company was quite successful hand forming metal bodies was a long process so the partners decided to look for an alternative material and settled on using Glass Fibre which was then in its infancy.

  Having produced bodies which mainly appealed to the race car market Rochdale launched the ST in 1955 aiming to appeal to the ordinary public who wanted a road car with a sporty appearance. For £100 the ST came with inner wheelarches, a front bulkhead, and some floor sections bonded in as well as hinged doors with locks and a bonnet which were all ready fitted and was intended to bolt straight onto a 1937 or later Ford 8 chassis. Rochdale claimed that any handyman could build the ST but in practice it needed far more work to make a comfortable car. 

The chassis flexed badly as the ST body didn't provide sufficient bracing so the chassis needed to be boxed in and the floor lowered to get the driver sitting down below windscreen height. It also needed independent front suspension and a panhard rod to improve the handling otherwise the car was uncontrollable above 50 MPH. You could also improve matters further with smaller wheels, a higher axle ratio and tuning the engine but this meant that the brakes weren't up to the job so hydraulic barkes was the ultimate modification.

A windscreen with frame and the hardtop seen in this photo which cost an extra £24 were also available from the factory. Rochdale withdrew the ST in 1959 having sold around 100 and there are 7 survivors in existence.     

 You are buying a digital scan of an original factory photo. The selling price buys one copy of the photo which may not be reproduced or published by the purchaser. Other size prints may be available. Please email with size of print required for a price.