foster461 Posted October 29, 2007 Report Share Posted October 29, 2007 For Immediate Release Contact: Jonathan A. Stein 610/779-9710 610/779-3705 fax American British Car Legend Dies Dorothy Deen, March 28, 1922 - October 23, 2007 Oceanside California, October 23, 2007. As raging wildfires threatened her Southern California home, Dorothy Deen Sitz died in a nearby Oceanside hospital after a long illness. The vivacious blonde Deen was best known for the Doretti sports car, a line of sports car accessories of the same name and for importing Triumph Sports cars for the Western United States. A darling of the local and automotive press, she was a common fixture at races and promoting the sports cars she sold. Born in Hollywood, Calif., to engineer and businessman Arthur Andersen and Martha Schultz Andersen, Dorothy grew up in a time when women either stayed home with children or worked as secretaries and telephone operators. At an early age, Dorothy Andersen had other ideas. Her career started as a teenager test driving the Whizzer motor bicycles her father had redesigned. She graduated to a mail order business selling gasoline model airplane engines her father also designed and manufactured. Growing up in Los Angeles, Dorothy had always been interested in cars, but the interest really took off in 1950 when she took delivery of a brand new Ivory MG TD, which was followed by several sporty Simcas. Instantly, she was propelled into a world of rallies, clubs and races. Although her later business interests prevented her from racing, she and her father often ran their cars on an abandoned airfield near the Andersen beach house. The next business venture forever changed Dorothy9s life. Unable to find high-quality accessories for her MG and her father9s Morgans, the pair designed and marketed their own wind wings, sun visors, luggage racks, valve covers in addition to wood and aluminum steering wheels. With backing from Andersen and in partnership with machinist Paul Bernhardt, Cal Specialties was born. To make the Cal Specialties line sound more exciting, the partners took the first three letters of Dorothy9s name, and turned it into the Italianate 3Doretti.2 . Through his work with thin-wall steel tubing, Andersen became involved with the Standard Swallow Company that was building a sports car based on Triumph TR2 running gear. In partnership with Dorothy, Andersen took on distribution of the new car in the U.S. and simultaneously picked up Western distribution rights for Triumph. Not only would Dorothy import the cars, but for a single dollar she sold the rights to the Doretti name that soon graced the attractive new two-seater. After Doretti production ended in 1955, Deen continued to import Triumphs until the company bought out all distributors in 1960. She then became the 45th woman in the world to earn her helicopter pilot9s license and later co-owned and managed an aircraft dealership. She later returned to UCLA to become a para legal on her intended but never completed--route to becoming an attorney. Along the way she declined Max Hoffman9s offer of a West Coast BMW distributorship and opted for a life of retirement and travel with her late husband, Tony Anthony, whom she met when he sold her that first MG TD sports cars years earlier. She is survived by automotive historian Jim Sitz, her husband of 16 years. For more information, contact Jonathan A. Stein, 610/779-9710 or jonathanastein@aol.com. 7450 Valley View Lane Reading, PA 19606, USA; 610\779-9710 (fax: 610/779-3705); cell: 484/824-2660; jonathanstein@aol.com Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Don Elliott Posted October 29, 2007 Report Share Posted October 29, 2007 For those who may not know what a Triumph Dorretti is, or who Dorothy Deen was, Here are some photos. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Davepowderblue Posted October 29, 2007 Report Share Posted October 29, 2007 Sad to hear that Dorothy Deen has just died . It must be empathized that she was not just important to Doretti owners but to all TR owners . She controlled Cal Sales Inc that sold TR2s - TR3as over the Western half of USA , everything west of the Mississippi The success of the TR2 was much down to her sales techniques . If you see early American adverts for TR2s there will be a pretty blond in the advert . That was Dorothy . She forced Triumph to changed the early front grill for the TR3 one and later the TR3a one. The rather shocking first colours of the early TR2s were changed to the more conservative colours by Dorothy . Standard Motors did not like it , but who could argue , she was selling more TRs than anyone else in the World . I had the pleasure of seeing her and her husband Jim over a year ago . my sympathies go to Jim over his sad loss yous David S. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
trhouse Posted October 29, 2007 Report Share Posted October 29, 2007 Dorothy, in fact. was a major factor in the success of TRIUMPH . Most of us are second and third generation owners away from the early fifties and didn't experience the excitement of the Sports Car explotion world wide in the late forties and fifties. For me it has been a treat to re-live that era through the TR2 and Doretti research I've done over the past 40 years. Dorothy and Jim have been very gratious in the sharing their experiences with the presevationist and enthisiasts that still live the thrill. A few years back, before she took ill, I encouraged her to attend the San Diego Triumph meet to see the enthusiasm owners still have for the Marque she so succesfully promoted. She had a wonderfull time sharing her experiences with the participants. As a humble tribute I have put a photo of her in the Doretti and a TR up on my screen saver and invite the Triumph and Doretti world to do the same. T.R. Householder Swallow Doretti Vehicle Consultant Vintage Triumph Register Doretti.com trhouse@greenapple.com Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Davepowderblue Posted October 29, 2007 Report Share Posted October 29, 2007 If you want to find out more about Dorothy look on Ebay for Automobile Quarterly Volume 34 , Number 2 , 1995 . A must for Triumph/Doretti owners . One chapter is on Dorothy and another on the history of the Dorettis P.S. Tom do you know if Dorothy and Jim's house survived the fires ? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
dykins Posted October 30, 2007 Report Share Posted October 30, 2007 (edited) Sad news indeed. Not only a very astute businesswoman, but also a very pretty one too! IMHO, that's quite rare! She was captured in the VHS film "Triumphs Across America" and even in her advancing years was a very striking lady I always thought that Dorettis and early Austin Healeys had a very similar side profile - does anyone else agree, and which one came first I wonder? Regards Peter Edited October 30, 2007 by dykins Quote Link to post Share on other sites
trhouse Posted October 30, 2007 Report Share Posted October 30, 2007 "In Search of the Swallow" “ Doretti in Design” Thirty years of digging though a mired design history of the Swallow Doretti the chronology of events align and the whole story unfolds. The Doretti adorned with initial design awards and sales sucsess was run-a- muck in part by a suggested conflictive interest clause relative to Swallow Coach Builder’s prior ownership. Recorded histories fall short in satisfactorily convincing one of its origin. Primarily due to the rush in which the Doretti and the TR2 get on line to fill the appetite of the USA and World market for sports cars. Sports car fever was jump started by Ferrari's introduction and racing success with the 1948 166mm Bachetta (one of the first being shipped to Southern California). Adding to the Doretti confusion is the secret involvement Sir John Black collaborating in its development and sidestepping an initial commitment to Willy’s to distribute the TR2 line. The concept for the car begins in California with the Andersens and Swallow Director John Saunders early 1952. Dorothy reportedly drew up a suggested design, I suspect was similar to a Ferrari. Late in 1952 Sir John Black gets involved through Saunders after the introduction of the TR1, interested in a design similar to the Healey 100. The Doretti is designed and built in the same four months the prototype TR2 cars are being put together. While in England in the spring of 1953 to give input on the almost finished prototype Doretti, Dorothy rode in the Jabbekee speed test car with Richardson It’s at this time the distribution talks about the TR line start taking form, and the rights to the Doretti accessories name is sold to Tube Investments. There is a lot more to the convoluted interlace between Dorothy, her Father Aurthur, and Triumph. The California involvement is considerably more significant than the history books credit. The initial major investment is committed via the Andersen’s wanting to get into the auto business after the sale of their Rome Cable Tubing Company interests. Most of the initial 80 or so Doretti cars were committed to the USA. Cal Sales is formed and built after the sping 1953 trip to England and in full swing for the debut of the Doretti and introduction of the TR2 in Jan 1954. The Doretti car badge was designed in California. The Triangle shape and overtop Doretti name. Taken from the originl accessories company logo. The infered prancing horse is several drawing generations away from the creature that originally came off the drawing board. It originally looked like a Heraldic medieval fire breathing horse (visions of the headless horseman's steed) with some distinct Gryphon characteristics. The Hollywood antimated British creation lent to some consevative clean up and resolution loss in badge production. However it kept it’s infered posture sporting still the heraldic flair with a symbolic lions tail. Even without being able to specifically identify the equine creature, the result is a very elegant and favorable signature badge. The laced cowl capping is shared with the 1948 166mm Barchetta. (These are the only two cars in history that are known to have used the treatment). It's not hard to see what all influenced the design when you take close look at the early history. I sort of tout history by calling the Doretti a Heraldic California Ferrari.... and Triumphs Healey want-to-be. The world thinks it's Italian. The quasi educated think it’s British - the between-the-lines reality is that it is an American concept car, Collaborated on and built in England, using some of the finest craftsmen of the industry. The Doretti was formally designed By Frank Rainbow, who also over-saw the production at Swallow Coachbuilders. Frank hired Panelcraft LTD Woodgate to build the bodies. They had just built the first 140 Nash Healeys. (Check out the panel similarities sometime). Panelcrafts experience with the similar lines without a doubt expedited the almost overnight completion of the prototype. Their experience provided superior quality in the resulting production. The interaction with Sir John Black, with visions of a Healey similar design, provided the Doretti with a drive train. Sir John is quoted to have said in front of the 52 Healey display. “This is the car we should have built” weeks later he is in a meeting with Andersen, Saunders, and Frank Rainbow discussing design parameters. Design starts Jan of 1953. Black seals a deal early in 53 with Willy’s to distribute the TR2 and then drops out of the deal, (following Willy’s merger with Kaiser)and pursues distribution with Andersen that spring. Black gets the first production Doretti... Is in an accident with it and the Hush! Hush! car is exposed.. He gets layed up and then retired by the board, amidst the TR2 and Doretti making their debut in the USA. Triumph fortunately ends up with Dorothy - the exciting and multi-talented distributor who promoted both cars quite successfully, and her father Aurthur, who traveled throughout the Western USA selling dealers the new franchises. And we the public, have obsession with “Triumph Glory” and “Power Graced by Elegange” Thanks Dorothy!!!! T.R. Householder Swallow Doretti Consultant Vintage Triumph Register Doretti.com “In Search of the Swallow” Quote Link to post Share on other sites
trhouse Posted October 31, 2007 Report Share Posted October 31, 2007 Hi Peter, I think it's fair to say that the Doretti owes a considerable amount to the Austin Healey in terms of overall looks, as Frank Rainbow cheerfully acknowledged - but then both marques were more than a little influenced by the Italian styling trends of the time. Cheers, Alec The Doretti design concept starts early in 1952 before the Healey is introduced. Both cars are definitely influenced by the late forties Ferrari. Jerry Cokers guideline in design was to not have any straight lines on the car. In my research I spoke with Jerry and he volentered an impession John Black had when he saw the 100 at the Earls Court 1n 1952. I hope the previous post clears some of the mystery about the Doretti beginings. Tom Householder Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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