Swallow Gadabout 1948 Mark 1 Pictures
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This picture was sent in by Graham Wilkie of Australia. Graham is currently restoring one of these and will be hopefully sending a picture of his handywork once complete. The Swallow Gadabout was made and sold by the Swallow Coachbuilding Company (1935) Ltd of Walsall, Staffordshire, from November 1946 until September 1951. The Mark 1 machines used an "air dam" under the steel floor to duct air to the Villiers 9D 122cc engine. The bodywork was all steel, with access to the tank, tap and tools being under the seat and Villiers direct lighting was used. The Mark 2 Gadabouts, introduced in 1949, were equipped with a Villiers 10D, 122cc two-stroke engine with fan-cooling and a 3-speed footchange gearbox giving a cruising speed of 30mph. The Gadabout was a successful machine, being adopted by public bodies including the Staffordshire Constabulary, as a lightweight runabout. Some 2000 were sold.
