IMPORTANT INFO We are no longer manufacturing
Dutton amphibious cars. For ALL Dutton servicing contact our chief engineer who has worked with us since 2008, indeed if your
Surf or Reef was manufactured after 2008 Jack would have built it.
He now operates his own fully equipped garage WJ Autos Ltd, Portsmouth email:- jackgorski@hotmail.com --- We have one
Dutton Surf for sale built by us in 2021 This fully loaded
Surf has provenance having been built for Peter de Savary, low mileage,
immaculate condition. Full weather equipment. Finished in
blue. Registration number GX62 NLA. For full info, including
photos, please email us factory@timdutton.com quoting stock #
PdeS
SALE OF DUTTON ASSETS
1968 to date manufacturing motor cars
1989 to date
manufacturing amphibious cars, thru relentless development and
innovation we have seen off every other amphibious car
manufacturer.
The first Dutton - the Mantis - built by
Tim Dutton, registered November 1968 based on the 1725cc
Sunbeam Alpine. Search - check MOT - for Government
authentication.
This is an opportunity to purchase the
oldest car company in the World still owned by its founder.
8000 cars, 200 amphibs and 55 years later we have decided
to sell off the registered trade mark DUTTON, heritage, stock,
factory equipment, moulds/jigs and history going back to 1968.
The company name Dutton Cars Ltd is not available.
World renown for selling vast quantities of kit
cars since 1968 it is clear that the market is changing so now
80% of our sales are for fully built cars.
ON OFFER (subject to
contract):
Whole set 1999 GRP(FRP) moulds and
production jigs for Surf
Whole set 2014 GRP(FRP) moulds
and production jigs for Reef
All equipment in factory
to produce the above inc removable mezzanine floor. Some of
the machinery dating back to the late 60s has no value and is
included at no cost.
1/ Web sites:- timdutton.com
duttoncars.com amphijeep.biz
2/ Current web site still
up and running is timdutton.com
3/ Registered trade
mark Dutton
4/ 54 years of suppliers details
5/ Hand holding by Tim Dutton thru transfer who is happy to
assist for a set time if required. This can include vehicle
production and as importantly vehicle/marine legislation
including Individual Vehicle Approval. Worthy of note that our
amphibs invariably pass IVA on first application.
6/
Other amphibious car projects in the pipe line…..
7/
Use of the name Tim Dutton as a figurehead if required.
8/ Continued consultancy by Tim Dutton if required.
New Facelift Surf successfully launched at the recent
Southampton Boat Show.
Somewhere between England and France (twice)
Customer demographics:-
Virtually all A&B, we still hold most customer order
forms/details from 1995
Sometimes even your boat is not quite long enough…..
Manufacturing amphibious cars has
to be the ultimate in niche marketing. We have always had an
uncanny knack of getting free World wide media exposure,
recently we were paid to do the opening package on Britain's
Got Talent with over 860,000+ views on YouTube and even an
Ocado advert.
Only a few weeks ago we had a 2 page
spread in the UK’s largest daily newspaper - The Sun - you
can’t buy this sort of publicity. The Dutton amphibs are
unique, as such apart from a handful of adverts in the
specialist magazines we have never paid for publicity.
The factory/Foreign
buyer:-
Half our sales are exported out
of the UK so location of factory should not cause a problem.
There is a very high chance that our Factory premises
including slipway into the River Arun can be taken over at a
peppercorn rent of £520/month. For any foreign manufacturer
the factory could be kept on as a distribution point to
service UK orders.
Servicing:-
We have an endless stream
of amphibs requiring MOT’s, general servicing, updates and pre
IVA checks etc.
We have sold to:-
Austria,
Brazil, Belgium, Burma, Canada, Costa Rica, Croatia, Dubai,
England, Estonia, France, French West Indies, Germany,
Holland, Hungary, Italy, Japan, Kuwait, Malta, Monaco, New
Zealand, Northern Ireland, Norway, Poland, Qatar, Russia,
Scotland, Southern Ireland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland,
Turkey, UAE, USA, Wales
All outstanding orders for
Surf and Reef have successfully been fulfilled by us. The last
Dutton left the factory in June 2023. Enquiries we have
received since then are kept on file to be passed onto new
owners.
Once a deal is completed it is anticipated
that the web site will be transferred immediately so the
successful purchaser can start accepting new sales.
OFFERS CONSIDERED for all or part sale. We are more interested
in someone keeping the brand going than a vast sum of money,
offers in excess of £10K will be considered.
Dutton Cars Dutton Wharf Arun Shipyard Rope Walk
Littlehampton West Sussex BN17 5DH
1/ All outstanding orders successfully been delivered, we
have approx 30 enquiries requesting info on whether we are
still manufacturing the Surf and Reef – these have not been
replied to
2/ Virtually all stock has been SOLD, there
are still a few windscreens and jet aluminium castings
available value approx £2K
3/ We have not accepted any
further orders despite potential customers repeatedly asking
if we can “make just one more Dutton”
The following web
pages are retained for reference only. These details take
precedent over earlier versions. July 20 2023
55 years of Dutton Cars
See Ultimate Rides for 5 min US TV video on the Dutton 4WD Surf: click HERE to view the clip.
See Secrets of the Supercars on UKTV Play for 5 min Video on the Dutton 4WD Surf: click HERE to view a clip.
See a demonstration of rough terrain handling. Click HERE to view a clip.
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
Over 860,000 views and still counting...!
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.
1982 cartoons salvaged from our 1992 factory fire
WHY 99.99% OF BOATS ARE RIGHT HAND DRIVE
A specialized oar called the steering oar was placed on vessels to provide the same functionality as modern-day rudders, and
they were operated by sailors positioned at the stern. Because the vast majority of sailors were right-handed, these oars were
always placed on the right side. Sailors began calling the right side the steering side, which soon became "starboard" by combining two
Old English words: steor (meaning "steer") and bord (meaning "the side of a boat"). "Port" is named as boats could not moor up on the
starboard side (as there was a "steering oar" in the way) so the other side was always call the "port" side. We can still manufacture
the Surf in Left hand drive if specifically required
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 with over 80 staff 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
Setting up at the 2021 Southampton Boat 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 well over 20 years old and still going
strong.
Brittany Northwestern most region of France. The annual Amphib meeting, Over 75 amphibs attended August
2019.
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, Malta, 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 upto VIN 280 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.
We take customer privacy seriously and will NEVER disclose customer names or addresses or cold-call
them so please don't ask
50 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 WWII Dutton shed at RAF Tangmere (1968) and the good old days when E Type Jaguars were simply thrown away
when not needed...
50 years old and still going strong
SURF & REEF
delivery & production
Please contact factory direct for current Delivery times.
BUILDING NOW - SEE NEW/USED page
A new blue Reef will be available for delivery in 6 months time and a new UK registered Surf is available NOW for delivery
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
Duttons in
Norway, Canada, Sweden and Russia
Duttons have now been registered for road use in Norway, Canada, Sweden and Russia, 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.
TV & VIDEO
STUFF
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 ex 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.
Specifications liable to change without notice.
DUTTON is a registered Trade Mark.
