We are open, if you want to visit the factory to collect parts/kits/cars, deliver cars or look at our demo cars please make
an appointment by email. We are now back in full production and accepting orders for cars/kits/spares TV WITH DUTTONS:- Not
so much this year for obvious reasons but we have a 5 minute package exclusively on the 4wd Surf on "Secrets of the
Supercars" 7pm Sunday May 16 on Dave Channel (Freeview 19, Virgin Media 127, Sky 111) Make a note in your
diary!
54 years of Dutton Cars
YouTube of Britain's Got Talent with Simon
Cowell and David Walliams in the Union Jack wrapped Dutton Surf arriving at the Thames TV studio, Media City,
Salford UK
Annual report from Tim Dutton Jan 2021
EXHIBITIONS
We have always used exhibitions as our main form of paid advertising. Our first exhibition was 1970 when Peter
Filby rented a field in (we think) Hindhead in Surrey. Of course the 1982 Motor Show at the NEC Birmingham was
the most talked about as we had just won the court case bought by Ford Motor Co who spectacularly failed to stop
us using the name Sierra. Our court costs were £20,000, the best £20K we could have spent on
publicity, the story being reported all over the World. Even cartoons appeared in the national press (as below),
we think no other car company has ever been the centre of such attraction in cartoons. It was particularly
amusing that just by chance our exhibition stand was next to the Ford exhibit at the NEC Birmingham. This year we
will be celebrating 54 years of vehicle manufacture and will be exhibiting later in the year at the Southampton
Boat show September 10 to 19 2021 - See you there - we will be showing the Reef and Surf
1982 cartoons salvaged from our 1992 factory fire
MAGAZINES
It was sad to hear of the closure of Kit Car Magazine especially as it was the first magazine in the World to be
dedicated solely to kit cars. Luckily we still have Total Kit Car and Complete Kit Car magazines to promote the
UK specialist car industry (more specialist car companies in the UK than the rest of the World added
together)
Dutton is the oldest car company in the world to still be wholly owned by its founder
To put this into context, Dutton was the first company ever to seriously 'productionise' kit car
manufacture resulting in building 8000 cars between 1968 and 1989 in 24,000 ft sq spread over 4 factories and
a main road showroom in West Sussex
The first amphibious car Dutton made was in 1989. No other company comes anywhere near us for longevity.
Even the most famous amphibious car ever - the Amphicar - was only built for 2 years then the company
haemorrhaged for a further 2 years in a desperate attempt to sell off the remaining stock
Dutton is the Worlds only company in series production with amphibious cars (despite what you see on the
internet)
After trading for years as Tim Dutton Amphibious Cars Ltd we thought it would be rather fun to re-use the
50 year old company name of "Dutton Cars Ltd" (same company just a name change)
First prototype (1989) based on Dutton Sierra drophead, note the use of steel bumper / chassis
(never again) alfresco exhaust and a bemused Tim Dutton
2019 Southampton Boat Show. We look forward to seeing you at
the 2021 show
Very successful Southampton Boat Show 2019
Tim Dutton - Woolley
PICTURES OF THE MONTH
What are the chances? An amphibious caravan passing an amphibious car...
20 mph, 5ft drop and no slipway... (click HERE or on
picture above for Video, opens in new window)
Most modern cars are designed to last 11 years. This Dutton Mariner is over 20 years old and still going
strong.
On the way to Brittany.
Brittany Northwestern most region of France. The annual Amphib meeting, Over 75 amphibs attended August
2019. The Reef was easily faster on the water than all the Amphicars, GPA's, DUKW's, Searanger
and others.
We buy dead
4WD Duttons We are eager purchasers of all 4WD Duttons regardless of their condition
including part built kits
Send us full details/photos and price
WHERE THEY
GO
Austria, Brazil, Belgium, Burma, Canada, Costa Rica, Croatia, Dubai, England, Estonia, France, French
West Indies, Germany, Holland, Hungary, Italy, Japan, Kuwait, Monaco, New Zealand, Northern Ireland,
Norway, Poland, Qatar, Russia, Scotland, Southern Ireland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, UAE,
USA, Wales
And some Military stuff..
This is not the total of all our cars sold, customers have bought more than 1 Dutton, there are
repeat orders and many are sold into the same location
We have been manufacturing amphibious cars longer than all the other companies in the World added
together - including Amphicar - this unparalleled experience over 33 years and 280+ sales has allowed
us to produce 4 entirely different models - the Mariner up to 2000 (Mk3 Fiesta donor), Commander up
to 2006 (Suzuki Samurai donor) and the current Surf and Reef
We take customer privacy seriously and will NEVER disclose customer names or addresses or cold-call
them so please don't ask
49 year old
advert from our Archives
As true today as it was in the early 1970's...Note £345 for an entire kit!
Built to
last
We recently received this from a customer who bought a Dutton in 1972; now over 70, he still uses the
B type (if his son is not borrowing it...)
Note WW2 Dutton shed, RAF Tangmere and the good old days when E Type Jaguars were simply thrown away
when not needed...
49 years old and still going strong
Reef in
full Production
REEF
delivery & production
Delivery is now Summer 2021 (and getting longer)
We are quite happy to accept a deposit and incomplete order form as a firm order so you can get a
production "slot", final spec can be added closer to the delivery date
We attempt to keep some deck/hulls in stock:-
We have one special mid grey Reef hull in stock ( his wife didn't like the colour)- if ordered
this hull waiting time is reduced by 2 weeks
IMPORTANT:- if we quote a delivery time from a general enquiry it is only valid at the time we quote,
delivery times can easily vary drastically depending on pressure of work, however once an order has
been received then the delivery date is fixed
SURF
delivery & production
Delivery is now Summer 2021 (and getting longer)
We are quite happy to accept a deposit and incomplete order form as a firm order so you can get a
production "slot", final spec can be added closer to the delivery date
We attempt to keep some deck/hulls in stock:-
none
IMPORTANT:- if we quote a delivery time from a general enquiry it is only valid at the time we quote,
delivery times can easily vary drastically depending on pressure of work, however once an order has
been received then the delivery date is fixed
Stock cars For the first time ever, we have managed to catch up
with orders and now have some cars in stock.
See the "new - used" page for further details.
UK Slipways
& launch sites
A comprehensive list of UK slipways and launch sites that you can use for your Dutton is now
available from BOATLAUNCH.CO.UK. giving details of over 940 British coastal and inland slipways.
Please click HERE to access their
site.
Note that the site also gives tide predictions.
Duttons
1968 to 1989
With well over 8000 Duttons driving around the World and despite not making them for over 30 years we
are still here to help owners. Got a TECHNICAL problem? then contact Tim for assistance. Please note
we have NO documentation or spares on these early Duttons (and don't forget to join the Dutton
owners Club)
Duttons in
Norway & Canada
Duttons have now been registered for road use in Norway and Canada, this joins the ever increasing
list of Countries where you can register the Dutton
A day in the life..... cars being completed, customers and visitors cars and our two demo cars.
Our "fleet" of two demo cars.
Monday morning, Jimny donor for Surf, and Fiesta donor for Reef.
Dutton goes
electric
Tim Dutton is currently building five electric powered Surfs for a European Customer. The 'E
Surfs' will be used on canals that have strict emission regulations and will be powered by 48v
water cooled electric motors.
The photo above shows the motor coupled to the same jet that's used for conventional Surfs. The
batteries will be on an overnight charge before the cars are driven to the canals during the day. If
the batteries go flat on the water, the petrol engine can be run to give enough power back to the
motor through a 48v converter.
TOP
15%
A staggering 85% of all cars (all makes) fail the IVA test first time. The Dutton passes. We are so
confident that the cars we present pass first time that if for any reason they don't we will
re-test at our expense
TV & VIDEO
STUFF
TOWIE ITV2 The "lads" drove around Basildon and local
lakes.
CHANNEL 4 SHOW "GADGET MAN" featured the
Dutton SURF
Tim also featured in an earlier episode of 'Scrapheap Challenge' on Channel 4.
Female Comedienne JO BRAND has a new tv programme on DAVE TV where she does weird stuff to do with water. Jo spent a whole day at our
factory filming in the Dutton Surf, this was shown recently and is viewable on here and shows Jo and
Tim having fun before heading for France in a Surf.
To view the video click HERE
The Dutton. It is neither
the car that thinks it's a boat nor a boat that thinks it's a car. It has the invincible
superiority of knowing that it is both "Boris Johnson Prime Minister of Great Britain and Northern
Ireland"
THE FACT DUTTON IS THE
WORLD'S ONLY SUCCESSFUL AMPHIBIOUS CAR MAKER SAYS A LOT. THE S2's
RUGGED............... "AutoExpress Magazine"
NEW WORLD RECORD 2
Duttons cross English Channel Nov 2006, see AMPHIBIOUS RECORDS link on "PRESS" link
above
2006 Channel Crossing Video now available. Click HERE to view (4min).
Part Completed jet bodies
Hull and deck meet up
2nd Dutton ever made, this Dutton
P1 based on the Mk1 Sprite was built in 1969 and is still going strong today. Photographed in 2005 to
celebrating the 25th year of the Dutton Owners Club (search DuttonOwnersClub to find out
more) . With well over 8000 cars made already the DOC look forward to you joining them with your
Dutton Amphib.
Specifications liable to change without notice.
DUTTON is a registered Trade Mark.
