This Ogle is an unusual pioneer

Who or what on earth is Ogle? It looks like some sort of little Saab or Dolomite. Allow us to explain. David Ogle Ltd, an established industrial design company, entered the motor industry in 1961 with an experimental body on a Riley 1.5 chassis. Ogle were, believe it or not, fairly cutting edge in their execution of this, setting a high standard from the off with quality glass-fibre work for the new body panels, and were seen as key in demonstrating the British could go toe to toe with the Italians in the art of automotive bodywork craft.

This particular car is fully FIA-homologated and ready to go following a comprehensive restoration and preparation by its owner. The story behind that restoration is heartwarming.

Following David Ogle’s tragic death in 1962 in a crash aboard an SX1000, the decision was taken to end the automotive venture. As such these little cars are quite rare. This car, David’s own, chassis number four, went to his wife, who stored it for thirty years. Its sister car was bought by to-be European Touring Car Champion John Handley, who would prepare the car for competition – dumping a stronger 1275 engine in before campaigning and homologating at the Nürburgring and beyond. It saw service for a good few years before being written off in the late ’70s.

Following the death of Handley in 2001, the current owner and driver James Nicholas acquired the Ogle and set about – with FIA certification – preparing it as Handley’s well-used competition machine as a tribute to him “so people can see his car in the 21^st century”. You could just as easily re-body a Mini, but this little blighter is the real deal. And there it was, at 75MM, flying the little Ogle flag in the Weslake. It certainly caught our eye.

Photography by Tom Shaxson