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This paper summarises the history of Rochdale Motor Panels and Engineering Ltd. (RMP), established in England after the Second World War, from its origins as a small car-repair business though to the manufacture of sports coupés utilising an innovative glass-fibre monocoque construction. The political climate which caused RMP and similar undertakings to develop and flourish in the 1950s and 60s is explained together with details of the three men who had the defining influence on the cars that were created. Products, including aluminium-bodied cars, produced primarily for racing, are described, leading into the introduction of glass-fibre construction which enabled a profitable transition into higher volume body and chassis manufacture, and ultimately completely assembled cars.

The aftermath of World War II had a defining influence on the British motor industry up until the late 1950s. The imperative to repay wartime loans resulted in government incentives for motor manufacturers to encourage them to export the majority of their production. Concurrently, punitive levels of purchase tax were levied on those at home who had the will and means to purchase new vehicles: a very effective deterrent. A range of Ford cars classed as models ‘8’ and ‘10’ (based upon the Royal Automobile Club horsepower ratings [1]), had been in production in Britain, unchanged mechanically, since 1932 and would continue so until 1959. As a result, there was a combination of old cars available at ‘scrap’ prices plus the ready availability of low-cost, new spare parts with which to repair them.