The Dellow Mk l

The production run of the Mkl ran from January 1950 through to May 1951 and consisted of 94 cars built.

The mkl is distinguished from the mkll by its higher bonnet line (level with the top of the headlights), the larger and fuller rear wings, the outside hand brake, footstep and usually no doors.

The mkl which evolved from Austin 7 roots had a tubular A framed chassis to similar dimensions as the Austin with quarter elliptic leaf springs at the rear. These were mounted into the legs of the a-frame as the Austin 7 and similar to the much later Austin Healey Sprite "frogeye". Damping was by Andre Hartford friction shock absorbers front and rear. The front axle was pretty much the standard Ford Prefect but with the addition of a sturdy Panhard rod to give good transverse location. there was no extra transverse location provided at the rear. the drive was through a shortened Ford Prefect torque tube to a more or less standard Ford rear axle with the Ford rear radius rods left off.

Handling of the mkl on the road is "lively" and the car suffers from pronounced oversteer due to the rear suspension arrangement which on cornering causes the inside wheel to move to the rear as the suspension moves and on the outside the wheel base shortens leading to rear wheel steering. (and we thought that Honda were first! ). Attention to detail can drastically improve matters. Wheel balance is paramount and should be carried out on the car. Wear in any of the joints, steering box or king pins badly affects the handling. Radial tyres on the rear reduces the oversteer and removing a couple of leaves from the standard Ford front spring seems to improve things as well. When Ron Lowe was asked how to stop the mkl from changing lanes without telling the driver his reply was - throw away the 17" wheels and fit 16" at the front.