Hi Gang…

So many people are part of the “Forgotten Fiberglass Phenomenon.”

Allow me to introduce the “characters” of this story and thank them for their help, guidance, contributions, and collaborations in every way:  Scott Odell, Merrill Powell, Marshall Foxworthy, Pat Amendolia, Alden Jewell, and more!

Now…let’s work this list and meet the players 🙂

A Mystery Car Emerges….

Many years ago (2006 was many years ago now…), Marshall Foxworthy found reference to an interesting car owned by Brian Clark of Pennsylvania.  It was posted on Rob Daniels exceptional website concerning fiberglass specials that is based in the United Kingdom.  Click here to review Rob’s website.

Here is the picture shared at the time:

So what car was it?

Merrill Powell And The Victress S4

In the Spring of 2007, Merrill Powell and his wife Gerianne, traveled to Tampa, Florida to join us on a caravan to the Amelia Island Concours d’ Elegance and celebrate fiberglass cars that were going to emerge on the world stage for the first time in over 50 years.  Jon Greuel was there.  Pat Boyce-Smith was there.  Joan and Debra Dawes were there….

Such heady times those were for us!

Prior to going to Amelia, we had a small get together at my house and Marshall Foxworthy joined us.  During this time, we went thru pictures and literature and food and drink.  And, without spilling anything on the pictures from Brian Clark, we showed the mystery car to Merrill Powell.  By now Marshall had correctly identified it as a U.S. Mark II by U.S. Fiberglass.

But Merrill added more.

It was a copy from a Victress S4 with modifications made to the hood and front end.  Nicely styled modifications, but everything else was taken directly from a Victress S4.  And Merrill was right (and this wasn’t the last time this happened – click here to see stories here on the Almquist El Morocco).

So now we knew the design heritage, and the history of the car, so it was time to get in touch with the owner.  But the owner disappeared.

Scott Odell and the U.S. Mark II

Unbeknownst to Marshall and me, the car had been sold on eBay and Scott Odell of Wurtsboro, New York was the new owner.  When Scott contacted me a few years later, I passed along all the info to Scott about the history we knew.

Prior to our meeting he had thought that it was a modified Almquist El Morocco – which was a reasonable assumption given the paucity of information about these cars out there – and the closeness in proximity to the Almquist factory in Pennsylvania.

Scott had plans on building the car and we stood ready to help.  But he promised to get in touch with me if he changed his mind.

Late in 2011, he changed his mind.

The Fiberglass Adventure Begins:  The Holiday Travels of 2011

I was already planning to “get out of Dodge” in December 2011 (click here to read more about my 2011 holiday trip), so with a bit of creativity, I was able to weave my way to Wurtsboro, New York where Scott and Margaret Odell live – and make plans to pick up the U.S. Mark II body.

But where would I put the body?  I already was picking up a car.  Maybe I could put it on the roof like I did with the belly tank?  Click here to read about that adventure in 2008.   Luckily, I have  a secret way of solving problems that seem insurmountable and might prevent me from making the right decision and moving forward.  Here’s my secret:

I don’t think about them – and I start my trip.

So off I went.

Loading The Mark II:

I’ve said this once, and I’ll say it a thousand times more…

“Friends help you move.  Real friends help you move bodies”

With that said, the whole “Odell Team” pitched in and then we had an epiphany.  Why not kill two birds with one stone, so to say.  Let’s put the Mark II body over the car I was carrying (McCormack) and we’ll “disguise” the load as I travel back to Florida!

After all, I probably would attract little attention.  I was only going thru New York City, New Jersey, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington D.C.  With my load properly “disguised” we would attract modest attention at best.

My mom says I’m an “idiot savant” at times – and “light” on the “savant.”

So, we crossed our fingers, loaded the body, secured it to the trailer and the McCormack, and laughed our butts off.  Too much fun and too much cold – at least for me (December – New York – remember….I’m a Florida boy!)

Here are some pictures from that day:

The Mark II Becomes The “U.S. Marshall Foxworth II”

So on my way home, I had another epiphany.  I realized I probably have too many projects.  Go figure!  (remember what my mom said about me….)

So….  good friend Marshall Foxworthy, one of the finest Forgotten Fiberglass researchers I know, was interested in U.S. Mark II and in cooperation and collaboration with Scott Odell, we decided to make Marshall a deal he couldn’t refuse.  Marshall agreed to take possession of the car and the stewardship of its restoration and research on the company.  Marshall was the right man for  the U.S. Mark II.

Here are pictures of Marshall with his new car (body):  A car that I now affectionately call “The U.S. Marshall Foxworthy II”

Summary:

Marshall does not disappoint.

He’s an amazing researcher, and already off and running in several directions researching this car further.  First, look what he found secretly laminated on the inside of the trunk area:

And…he’s already tracked down the Howard Greene family who built the car and the bodies, and awaits to see what material emerges from their family archive.  In addition, he’s working with the man who bought the U.S. Fiberglass Mark II bodies when the company went bankrupt – Pat Amendolia (click here to read more about Pat Amendolia).

And now Marshall is on the hunt again.  He just found the family who Scott Odell bought the body from.  And… what was originally told to Scott was that this family had two of these cars – back in the day – and an extra unfinished body – which is the body that Scott ultimately bought.  The man who originally built and sold the two cars never finished the third, and the body remained from that project.  Might this family have pictures and additional information?

So…. Marshall’s hot on the trail again and should have some interesting information to share with us in the near future.

Go get ‘em Marshall!

And wait until you see what good friend Alden Jewell found concerning this car in a future story here at Forgotten Fiberglass.

So much to share…so little time….

Hope you enjoyed the story, and until next time…

Glass on gang…

Geoff
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