Skunkworks
Prototypes developed with a very large degree of autonomy, all under the watchful eye of Tim Dutton….. The term originated from Lockheed Martin‘s Skunk Works, a highly classified, internal research and development group.
Skunkworks was a slang name we used from the early 90’s to number new projects that hadn’t already been allocated a production name, all projects started off with DDO number (Dutton Drawing Office)
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1967 to date Dutton designed 18 different Dutton kit cars, 4 amphibs and half a dozen Eagle cars.
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DDO19
This was the very last Dutton (1988) prior to selling off the manufacturing rights (but not the registered name DUTTON) to other car companies. Although a full size mock-up, based on the well proven S4 Phaeton space frame, was produced from the wall drawings in background of photo it was never finished and consequentially never went into production and was eventually deliberately destroyed in 1990.
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1989 to 1993 we designed and built many cars for companies in Russia, Iran, Guadeloupe, Nigeria, India, UK and Europe. But with a number of NDA’s issued in perpetuity still flying around there are no photo’s.
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1989 this was the first non-car development we designed and built, an electric golf buggy part funded by The Design Council thru the Funded Consultancy Scheme.
Tim Dutton attempting to sell one to Sir Denis Thatcher at a London golf show, 1992.
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The Amphib Period
DDO20 Mariner (MK3 Escort)
DDO21 Commander (Samurai, SJ413, SJ419)
DDO22 Surf (Jimny)
DDO23 Reef (MK7 Fiesta)
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DDO24 (Now Phaeton 5)
In 2024 we searched for the worst, badly maintained, high mileage and well used Series 4 Phaeton and cut it up to closely examine the chassis for any distortion and cracks using Ardrox. Unsurprisingly we didn’t find any cracks and only very light surface corrosion and that’s on a multi-tubular space frame that had been built over 40 years ago.
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DDO 25 currently working on a new model from the Dutton stable. We were going to launch this model end of May at the Malvern Show, but now we have pulled out of Malvern and the launch has been brought forward to the end of April.
Based on the MX5 Mk3 5 space frame
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Wind deflector + heater blank following on from DDO 24
Current work, Production Phaeton 5 with prototype front wind deflector (mainly for track cars) and bonnet with heater air intake hidden to give a cleaner look.
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DDO 26 like no car you have ever seen from the Dutton stable based on the 5 chassis Q3 2026