The Dutton Mariner was an amphibious car built by Tim Dutton from 1995, after the original Dutton Cars kit-car business had been wound up in 1989. It was based on the Ford Fiesta and was part of a small family of amphibious vehicles that also included the Suzuki Samurai-based Commander.
Dutton Mariner at a glance
| Maker | Dutton Cars, Worthing, Sussex, England |
|---|---|
| Introduced | 1995 |
| Type | amphibious car |
| Basis | Ford Fiesta |
| Related model | Dutton Commander, based on the Suzuki Samurai |
| Later model | Dutton Surf, introduced in 2005 on the Suzuki Jimny |
| Designer | Tim Dutton |
| Earlier business | kit cars built from 1970 to 1989 |
| Company scale | the largest kit-car maker in the world by numbers |
| Record | crossing the English Channel twice in an amphibious car |
Based on one source: the English Wikipedia article on Dutton Cars, where the Mariner is described in the company’s later history.
History of the Dutton Mariner
Dutton Cars was founded by Tim Dutton-Woolley and built kit cars between 1970 and 1989. In terms of the number of kits produced it was the largest kit-car manufacturer in the world. It began with a series of cars named P1, and in October 1971 the B-Type appeared with a more or less standard specification based on Triumph Herald components; later most Dutton kits used Ford Escort Mk 1 or Mk 2 components and relied on a steel ladder-frame chassis.
Leaving the kit-car business
By 1989 Tim Dutton had become bored with the kit-car scene and all the designs were sold. One of the last new models, the Maroc, had been developed as a heavily modified Ford Fiesta with a convertible body, and its design was sold on to Novus of Bolney in Sussex. Dutton then worked as a consultant, away from car making for several years.
The return in 1995
In 1995 Tim Dutton returned to the automobile business with two amphibious cars, the Dutton Mariner and the Dutton Commander. The Mariner was based on the Ford Fiesta, while the Commander used the Suzuki Samurai. The idea of a car that could also travel on water was not far from the spirit of the kit-car years: the cars were small, simple and built around components from a mainstream production vehicle. A later amphibious model, the Dutton Surf, was introduced in 2005 and was based on the Suzuki Jimny of the time.
An amphibious record
Tim Dutton is now a record holder as the only person to have crossed the English Channel twice in an amphibious car. The Mariner belongs to that chapter of the marque, when the business moved from glass-fibre sports kits to vehicles that could leave the road altogether.
Design and features
- Amphibious ability: designed to travel on water as well as on the road.
- Ford Fiesta basis: the Mariner used the mechanical layout of the small Ford rather than a bespoke chassis.
- Companion model: the Commander offered the same idea on Suzuki Samurai components.
- Continued development: the concept was carried on in 2005 by the Suzuki Jimny-based Surf.
Dutton Mariner versions
- Mariner (1995): amphibious car based on the Ford Fiesta.
- Commander (1995): amphibious car based on the Suzuki Samurai.
- Surf (2005): later amphibious model based on the Suzuki Jimny.
The Mariner followed the original kit-car models: the Phaeton, the Melos and the last sports car of the range, the Legerra. More cars are in the Dutton collection.
Video: Launching the Dutton at Cookham slipway
Video on YouTube.
Sources
- Dutton Cars, English Wikipedia: company history and the amphibious models
