Carbodies - just how much did they do?

[Forkie]

So as I am told - all the Estates that were made , were not actually made by Triumph. Triumph shipped out saloons to Carbodies,whom then ( in modern terms) cut 'n ' shut the said saloons into glorious looking Estates. My question is - does anyone actually know just how little of a saloon was sent over to Carbodies, and /or just how much Carbodies built of the Estate? I ask this question on the back of a querry made last week by a retired trimmer of reputable stance that I have entrusted to refurb the side panels in the boot area of my Estate - mainly due to the awful design of the O/S panel around the fuel filler neck - terribly weak.
ANYHOW - pictures were asked for, and sent- of the side panels - including the backside of the side panels, showing the stitching, and the carpet cuts over the rear wheel arches.... he came back straight away with ' that has NOT been done by Triumph,no way. So I assume , Carbodies did the lot, but not as tidy as Triumph would of....

[Forkie]

As a p.s. - on the rear of the side panels, stapled to the hardboard were labels, marked ' Another Cambro product'. Anyone enlighten me on that firm? And as a p.p.s. - this label was only stapled to the dodgy, offside panel - no such label resides on the nearside panel....

[johnnydog]

A bit of Googling brought this quite interesting and probably relevant discussion....
https://www.triumphexp.com/forum/spitfi ... 0.1004312/
Considering the company was based at the Cambro Works, Exhall at Coventry, the likelihood that it is one of the same is probably greater than just a coincidence?

[Forkie]

Interesting. What i find also interesting is now the trimmer has my side panels with him, he is 100% sure the covering is not a Triumph product - as in the texture/design, so must of been supplied/ fitted by Carbodies....but it matches ( in my humble opinion) all the rest of the panels - in colour and texture!!! Which started my think - ball rolling re just how much did Carbodies actually do on the conversion from Saloon to Estate.

[valencia]

I think it's Callow and Maddox