When the wind dropped for Tornado

Dec 21 2009 Ian Johnson

When the wind dropped for Tornado

THE late 1950s and early 60s was a golden age for small, adventurous manufacturers who turned out a number of very bold ventures, some of which were more successful than others.

One manufacturer which deserved many more sales than it actually achieved was Tornado, a small operation set up by in 1957 by Bill Woodhouse and Tony Bullen.

From an early start in the West Country the firm was eventually based in Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire, the company producing the Typhoon Sports, available either as a body for fitting to a Ford 8 or 10 chassis or to a purpose designed Tornado chassis for use with a range of engines and transmissions.

This car was very much a special and appealed to the growing number of sports car drivers who wanted a very individual set of wheels. A total of 400 were produced between 1958 and 1962.

A similarly styled Tempest model featuring a Ford 105E engine and independent wishbone front suspension was introduced around 1960, but only around 15 were made.

But the model which really should have gone much further than it actually did came about in 1962.

It was the Talisman 2+2 coupe carrying an attractively styled fibreglass body on a sophisticated tubular steel chassis with Ford 1,340cc or 1,500cc engines in various states of tune. This model was available either in component form or factory finished and was immediately recognised for its lively performance and remarkably good ride and handling.

The Talisman also featured a high standard of finish, but just could not hack it against more aggressively marketed competitors.

Promotional publicity at the time described the car as a fast,compact, full four-seater sports saloon, with the ease of parking of a small runabout - a statement that could apply to many cars that are sold today.

Maximum speed was well over 100mph with all day cruising in the 90's. Fuel consumption in normal use was more than 30mpg and the Talisman had the turning circle of a London taxi.

Other plus points were four seats with large boot, competition-bred seating, disc brakes, all independent suspension, massive tubular steel chassis, rack pinion steering and high speed tyres - not to mention a healthy power ouput of 85 B.H.P. And four-speed all synchromesh transmission.

The main hull was in one peice and extremely strong, rigid and self supporting. It was bolted to the chassis on rubber to ensure quietness and freedom from vibration.

Regrettably, cash-flow problems forced the company into liquidation in 1964 after just 186 Talismans had been made.

It was a great shame because the company had started to make quite a name for itself in motor sport, winning the 750 Motor Clubs' Six Hour Handicap Relay Race at Silverstone.

And the introduction of the Talisman gave the factory it's second victory in the Six Hour Relay Race in 1963.

At it's peak Tornado Cars employed 60 people and had a lot going for it, but financial problems forced production to end in 1964. The company then became a respected bodywork repair specialist until closure in 1986.

The site was acquired by a tyre services operation which named its building Tornado House as a tribute to these exciting cars.