Ogles & DAFs

[Will Owen <wowen@domain.elided>]

Dwight Varnes wrote:

"An OGLE is an geeky British car powered by the ubiquitous BMC Spridget
engine. Essentially a coachbuilt Mini designed by David Ogle in the
early sixties. A DAF is a Dutch(?) built car, under 1 liter 2 cylinder
air cooled engine. It's claim to fame was the Variomatic all-mechanical
automatic gearbox (pretty much a CVT like the Subaru Justy used). Was
still in production in the late sixties, but I don't know what became of
them. I think DAF was actually a heavy truck mafr."

Ogle was in fact a respected industrial design firm that did several
idea cars, some of which became (limited) production models. The Reliant
Scimitar (a sporty GT with station-wagon details, kinda like the last
Volvo P1800s and Jensen-Healeys) was the most successful. One of the
royals (I'm thinking Princess Anne) used the prototype for a few years.
The Ogle Mini was a well-engineered fiberglass body that was bonded to a
Mini floorpan, seems to me the long-wheelbase version from the
wagon/van/pickup. It was heavier than the Mini, but faster and lots more
comfortable.

Pretty much right about the DAF, except that the engines were mostly
water-cooled Renault ones, ranging from just under a liter to 1100cc
(Dauphine to R8).

Will Owen