Roadster Racer – Ralph Bush Singer NASOC: Summer, 2020 … Continue reading
Category Archives: Chassis
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Our SWM Gordini is off to new ownership in Valladolid, Spain
Hi Gang… As with many of our cars here at Undiscovered Classics, they find new homes so we can concentrate on other restorations. We would have loved to restore this car and pursue the history more but alas….so little time … Continue reading
Here’s The Only Jowett Jupiter Special We’ve Found So Far in the USA.
Hi Gang… Recently I heard from the owner of a car we sold that was shipped to Asuncion, Paraguay. That’s a new location for me! I wish I could travel the world like some of the cars we shipped over … Continue reading
The Lahti Special on the Streets of Michgan in the Winter of 1971
Hi Gang… Today I’m honored to share an article by our friend and intrepid “historian-adventurer” Bob Cunningham. Bob has always had an affinity for small cars, lost marques and their history. Today’s article is about a car that both Bob … Continue reading
Alex’s Father Built One Beautiful Victress S5 Roadster
Hi Gang… We’re still working on gathering the story of this Victress S5 VW Special to share with everyone here at Undiscovered Classics, but I thought we would start out with a bit of history on the car and the … Continue reading
Nice Proportions For a Sports Car – I hope we can find out the heritage here
Hi Gang… I love Singer Specials. Strong engine with overhead cam. Custom bodies – usually lightweight fiberglass, and all usually built in the 1952-1955 era. And besides…..Singers are fun and Singers are rare. These cars tick all the boxes for … Continue reading
Above: The Renault-Devin Special Owned By Luis Alarcos Has Such A Cool Look
Hi Gang… I love Renault based American Specials – and most of you know why. My first fiberglass sports car was the 1962 Shark Roadster – a Renault based American sports car that I’ve had nearly 40 years. That car … Continue reading
Above: The 1951 Manning Special at Speed – And The Missing Badge
Hi Gang… I met Joel 10+ years ago when he and his family lived in Huntsville, Alabama. He was then and is now a “stress engineer.” So you ask, “What’s a stress engineer?” Here’s a definition from an aviation website: … Continue reading
Ralph Bush at Speed In His Singer Race Car – Pomona Road Race: June 25-26, 1960
Hi Gang… Over the years I have learned about so many special people and special cars – in that order. And this story is about both – Ralph Bush and his Singer race car. How I got to know Ralph … Continue reading
Charles Le Menestrel’s 1955 Kurtis-Byers Sports Car – Restoration In-Progress
Hi Gang… So many stories….so much opportunity to share with you what’s going on with the rebirth, resurgence and restorations of American Specials across the land. I’ve been tracking this particular Byers for years and the story originally started with … Continue reading
1957 Protea – South African Handcrafted Special
Hi Gang… It’s fascinating to learn about a fiberglass bodied sports car with a “build” heritage exactly that of an American special but in South Africa. It was the same timeframe too – the mid 1950s. I first came across … Continue reading
Hi Gang… For nearly 15 years I’ve worked with members of the North American Singer Owner’s Club (NASOC) to help document the history of Singer custom bodied sports and race cars in America. Initially my interest was in the Glasspar … Continue reading
Milt Stanton Singer Versus Ferrari From Tony Adriaensens new book entitled Weekend Heroes comes this wonderful shot of a 1074cc Singer Roadster #44 leading a Ferrari 166 Mille Miglia through a corner on the Palm Springs road racing circuit. The … Continue reading
Michael Jacobsen – My Singer Michael and Ralph Were Lifelong Friends Singer News (NASOC): #6, 2013 … Continue reading
Ralph Bush And His Singer Race Car Background – In His Own Words Click Here To Learn The History of This Car From The Man Who Built It And Raced It: Ralph Bush Articles Explore The Links Below Articles About … Continue reading
The End of the Road for Vaughan Motors The Story of Singers on the East Coast January, 2020 One of the many mysteries about Bill Vaughan was why he relinquished his franchise with Singer Motors in the summer of ’54 … Continue reading
North America Revisited (Once Again) The Story of Monroe Gretske Summer: 2015 I read Ashley Crossland’s article on the North American Singer connection in the March/April 2015 Singer Owner with great interest as usual. Of course it’s always difficult to … Continue reading
Bob McDannold Robert “Jitter” “Red” Hurley McDannold – Singer Racer Looking back at some of the early racing programmes in Southern California, a handful of names associated with Singer racing stands out. Wilbur “Lammy” Lamoreaux is perhaps the most notable, … Continue reading
Bill Vaughan New York Importer of Singer Motor Cars From UK Articles About Bill Vaughan Click Here For More Detail Audio Interview Recordings With Michael Vaughan Bill Vaughan’s Nephew 30 Minute Interview: July 10, 2014 … Continue reading
Bill Quinn Bill Quinn – Singer Racer and Publicist Not surprisingly, the majority of those racing sports cars in Southern California were people involved in some aspect of the car business at the time. Dick van Laanen was a salesman … Continue reading
Sebring Racing Program Sebring, Florida: March, 1954 … Continue reading
Phoenician Doing Well in Coast Sports Car Events Desert Dust: April, 1954 … Continue reading
1954 World Motor Sports Show: New York Program … Continue reading
Chickens (VSS) August 29, 2015 … Continue reading
Living History December 23, 2013 … Continue reading
Singer Racing Team May 22, 2010 … Continue reading
Singer Advertising Click Here To Read About Singer Advertising Scroll Down To View Singer Advertising … Continue reading
Singer Videos Singer Race Cars of the 1950s North American Singer Racing History Video By Peter McKercher (4 Minutes) Click Video Image Above To Watch Racing Roadsters on Screen January 31, 2011 Click The Link Above To Learn More About … Continue reading
Ralph Bush Singer 4AD Race Car The Last Fast Singer 50 Shades of Rust Author: Tom Cotter (2014) … Continue reading
The Last Racing Roadster (Ralph Bush) January 4, 2014 … Continue reading
Vaughan Wildcat Part II June 7, 2014 … Continue reading
Vaughan Wildcat Part I June 6, 2014 … Continue reading
Singer Statistics August 8, 2013 … Continue reading
Fiberglass VSS Wildcat – Follow – Up July 21, 2013 … Continue reading
Ralph Bush Meets #105 Once Again (Ralph Bush) July 8, 2013 … Continue reading
Marketing Singers June 23, 2013 … Continue reading
The Last Racing Singer Repatriated (Ralph Bush) June 18, 2013 … Continue reading
Bill Vaughan at Floyd Bennett Field October 14, 2012 … Continue reading
Bill Vaughan Finally Surfaces January 15, 2012 … Continue reading
Another Singer Connection January 5, 2012 … Continue reading
Fiberglass VSS Wildcat Singer February 22, 2012 … Continue reading
Long Beach Reeves Field October 3 – 4, 1953 December 30, 2012 … Continue reading
Snell, Singer and Safety Helmets December 5, 2012 … Continue reading
Singer Racing in the ROA December 5, 2011 … Continue reading
Man’s Best Friend – Underdog November 15, 2011 … Continue reading
What’s in a Number October 25, 2011 … Continue reading
Singer Takes 1500cc October 14, 2011 … Continue reading
Period Photos – Lamoreaux and Milne October 10, 2011 … Continue reading
Singer Special Mystery August 28, 2011 … Continue reading
The Gretskes August 16, 2011 … Continue reading
More on Numbers July 19, 2011 … Continue reading
The Last Racing Singer (Ralph Bush) May 28, 2011 … Continue reading
More on Vaughan’s Ghia May 14, 2011 … Continue reading
More on Roadster Numbers May 5, 2011 … Continue reading
How Many Roadsters May 1, 2011 More Thoughts On Production Numbers Ashley Crossland: Singer Owners Club, UK Communication / Letter Peter, I’ve looked at some of my information and can come back on the production numbers that you have. 1/ … Continue reading
The Vaughan Baby April 17, 2011 … Continue reading
Another Big Win For Singer April 9, 2011 … Continue reading
Bill Vaughan’s Ghia April 5, 2011 … Continue reading
Vaughan Super Sports (VSS) March 28, 2011 … Continue reading
Bill Vaughan Hay Bale Magnet March 20, 2011 … Continue reading
Vaughan Singer Motors March 2, 2011 … Continue reading
Another Glasspar Connection February 21, 2011 … Continue reading
Sports Car Racing 1954-1964 October 20, 2010 … Continue reading
Van Laanen Special July 13, 2010 … Continue reading
Another Fiberglass Singer October 16, 2009 … Continue reading
Racing Singer Found (Ralph Bush) July 17, 2008 … Continue reading
Al Moss in Remembrance (1927-2012) October 4, 2012 … Continue reading
Above: America’s First Concours d’Elegance Book Was Penned By Joseph H. Wherry and Published in 1969
Hi Gang… Our enterprise, Undiscovered Classics, is all about research – especially the hard to get to “stuff”. Undiscovered Classics is about: Uncovering the history of the early postwar sports car marques such as Glasspar, Victress, and more. Revealing the … Continue reading
Above: Ron Pierce’s Singer Special Arrives – “Torquie” Finds A New Home
Note: Click here to read part 1 of this story Hi Gang… “I’ll bring the car to you – it’s not that long of a drive.” That’s what Ron Pierce told me after I bought his Allied Swallow Singer Special … Continue reading
You started with a body when you bought An Allied Swallow in the 1950s. You could order a chassis too.
Hi Gang… I finally found one! A Singer Special. That’s what I said back in 2015 we we acquired a very nice example of a Singer Special built using a Allied Swallow body. We always call these cars “Allied Cisitalia” … Continue reading
Hi Gang… Today’s story is a follow-up article about a very interesting car we wrote about back in 2011 – the Kelly Buchanan Singer Special. Back in 2011 we outlined what we knew about the stylish Singer Special and shared … Continue reading
Hidden Treasures 1952 Singer 4AD SM Roadster Vintage Racecar: October, 2013 … Continue reading
Singer Stays in Period Race Trim Classic & Sports Car: January, 2009 … Continue reading
The 1958 Alken D2
Hi Gang… Go Alken! We may have found just four (or perhaps five) Alken D2 sports cars so far but lucky for us – vintage information is still being shared and revealed from long lost archives across the USA. Recently, … Continue reading
Hi Gang… Today’s story is by one of our Undiscovered Classics aficionados – Kyle Feller. Kyle has been working with us for over 5 years and has participated in some of our best adventures which include our Leo Lyons Custom … Continue reading
Hi Gang… There are a lot of cars out there that are beautiful, rare and deserve more attention than they typically have received. That’s the case with today’s story and a brochure on the Brazilian designed and built Ventura. Our … Continue reading
Hi Gang… Today’s story is courtesy of one of our Undiscovered Classics fan in Europe – Luis Alarcos – of Spain. Luis collects and restores Renault specials including those that were built (or found) in America. Recently Luis has been … Continue reading
Hi Gang… We have Richard Brown to thank for today’s story. Richard recently updated us on his sport custom find – the 1953 Porter Pegasus. Click here to review that story. Today’s story is about another rare car Richard researched … Continue reading
Hi Gang… Today I’m honored to share an article by our friend and intrepid “historian-adventurer” Bob Cunningham. Bob has always had an affinity for small cars and their history and this story includes a car that has been “lost” and … Continue reading
Hi Gang… Do you remember that oft used phrase by Benjamin Franklin about getting work done. It goes something like… “If you want something done….find a busy person to do it” Well….we are keeping the guys at JR’s Speed Shop … Continue reading
Fifty Shades of Rust (Book) By Tom Cotter Foreword by Wayne Carini Introduction by Tom Cotter and Geoffrey Hacker Ten Stories of Handcrafted Cars Published 2014 … Continue reading
LOST CAR The 1955 Jules “J” Heumann Singer Special Help Us Find This Car! We’ve found plenty of interesting, cool, and lost famous cars over the past decade or so at Undiscovered Classics. It’s now your turn. As we’ve often said….. … Continue reading
Hi Gang… It’s been an adventure trying to get all the stories of “building your own car in the ‘50s” nailed down so many years later. And this story about the Sierra Sportcar Frame has been one of the toughest … Continue reading
—————————- Click here to all parts of this story —————————- Hi Gang… Nik Gudmunds and Jerry Ball completed the Thor in 1958. Little did they know that they were making history by using a VW chassis and drivetrain. The VW Beetle first … Continue reading
—————————- Click here to all parts of this story —————————- Hi Gang… It all boils down to the name…. Tracking down people who built cars decades before has its challenges – but it always starts with a “name.” And when the … Continue reading
—————————- Click here to all parts of this story —————————- Hi Gang… I love mysteries….especially when they eventually get solved. Back in May, 2010 (wow – 7 years ago!) a car called a “Thor” surfaced for sale on the Samba which … Continue reading
Hi Gang… One of fiber-friends from Australia is Ted Godfrey and he recently sent in some information about a Australian sports car that was new to me – a Renault based sports car designed and built by Len Moir. With … Continue reading
Hi Gang… Let this be a warning to any of you who want to visit ground zero of fiberglass research in Tampa, Florida. You are welcome any time, and you can crash at the ‘Glass House, have free food…..wine, women, … Continue reading
This is the most promising to date of the several electric cars being engineered in various cities. George Lippincott, the founder and president of Nic-L-Silver, hopes to have ten cars a day rolling off the assembly line now being tooled. … Continue reading
Hi Gang… It’s a challenge. Here at Forgotten Fiberglass we have information coming in from sources across the world – and then we pile our own research onto this stream of information too. Have no fear though fiber-gang….it’s challenging but … Continue reading
Hi Gang… There are so many interesting cars out there to find – and much to the continued surprise of both Rick D’Louhy and myself – these cars keep popping up. Take today’s story about the SWM Gordini built by … Continue reading
Hi Gang… Renault Specials have a special place for me given that my first fiberglass sports car was Renault based – the 1962 Shark Roadster – a car I still have today. So when I recently came across an article … Continue reading
Hi Gang… Several years back, one of the fiber-gang out there sent in a reference to the earliest fiberglass car I’ve seen built outside of the USA. I sat on the information waiting and hoping that more information would surface. … Continue reading
Hi Gang… Rick and I chase down the neatest automotive history stories and many times – the cars that go with them. This time, we actually caught the car first and we’re in search of its build story – second. … Continue reading
Hi Gang… As you’ve recently heard, we’re taking the Forgotten Fiberglass show on the road next week and are very much honored in participating at the 2014 Import & Kit Nationals held in Carlisle, Pennsylvania – click here for more … Continue reading
Hi Gang… I’m honored to call Chuck Tatum and his wife Evelyn good friends. I was introduced to them by another good friend – Harold Pace. Too many great folks to get to know out there gang 🙂 Chuck is … Continue reading
Note: This is the third in a series of stories about the fiberglass sports cars that appeared in the 1954 Custom Cars book by Motor Trend. Click here to review each of these stories on Forgotten Fiberglass. ————————– Hi Gang… In the … Continue reading
Hi Gang… Come one, Come all….The Forgotten Fiberglass Gang is heading north in May, 2013 to participate in theCarlisle Import & Kit Nationals. Good friend Marvin McFalls, President of the Renault Owner’s Club of North America, put us in touch with Ed Buczeskie, Events … Continue reading
Hi Gang… Alden Jewell found this on the inside page of the Small Car Parade Magazine from March, 1960. Shown is the new Enzmann as well as the older 1954 Renault based Rogue by Plasticar of Pennsylvannia. Interestingly, while the … Continue reading
Hi Gang… I didn’t know there would be a “part 2” to this story. Now I hope that I can write a “part 3” which would feature the “find” of this car 🙂 Back in 2011, Glenn Brummer forwarded me … Continue reading
Hi Gang… Well….we did it. We made it with the Shark to Amelia with a gaggle of glass guys in tow. And it was nothing short of a miraculous effort by friends, family, supporting businesses, and probably mysterious unknown fiberglass … Continue reading
Hi Gang… As I write this, we have 168 hours until our 1962 Shark Roadster is presented at the 2013 Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance. Wow! Has time gone fast! This will be the first major appearance of the Shark in … Continue reading
Hi Gang… Many of you know my passion for vintage cars started with my grandfather, Morrie Hacker, my mother Ruth, and mentorship in my early teenage years from Paul Terhorst of Chicago, Illinois. I was well-schooled in great old cars, … Continue reading
Hi Gang… Here’s another interesting publicity photo I found recently – and I had to look at it “thrice” to make sure it really was – what I thought it “was.” Shown on the wall of the exhibition was a … Continue reading
Hi Gang… The quest for information continues on all fronts. Most recently, “press release photos” locked away in newspaper archives have become available and collections are being rapidly dispersed – precious photos scattered to the wind. Each day I canvas … Continue reading
Hi Gang… Missing pieces of history….thought lost to time….uncovered by auto archeologists near and far. We live for this “stuff” here at Forgotten Fiberglass – and today’s story is the result of one such adventure – Joel Driskill’s Excellent Adventure 🙂 … Continue reading
Hi Gang… If you were going to build a chassis for your fiberglass bodied sports car back in the ‘50s – why not build one designed by Frank Kurtis? Frank made it easy for everyone interested. If you wanted to … Continue reading
Hi Gang… Haven’t we all been to “mecca” as children and driven sports cars before the age of nine? Opps…I mean haven’t we all been to “Disneyland” and driven “Autopia” cars during our childhood, young adulthood, or later? If this … Continue reading
Hi Gang… I’m honored to have another article to share with you about a rare fiberglass sports car from the UK called a Singer SMX. This article is written by Singer historian Phillip Avis who is part of the North American … Continue reading
———– Note: This is the second part of a 2-part story on the initial article written by Chuck Manning on how to build your own sports car. Click here to review both parts of this story. ———– Hi Gang… Allow … Continue reading
Hi Gang… Did you know that the first two fiberglass sports cars produced by Glasspar were based on a Willys chassis and engine? That’s significant and I wanted to learn more – but what I found out was far more … Continue reading
Hi Gang… I’ve had too much coffee this morning – but the title is right on target. Most people think of a fiberglass sports car called a “Berkeley” as a stylish car from over the Pond in the UK. Well … Continue reading
———– Note: This is the first part of a 2-part story on the initial article written by Chuck Manning on how to build your own sports car. Click here to review both parts of this story. ———– Hi Gang… Allow me … Continue reading
Hi Gang… My first fiberglass car was a Shark – a convertible Shark at that. Little did I know that the path I would embark on as a young man would be so adventurous in later life 🙂 Back about … Continue reading
Hi Gang… The Multiplex lineage of cars starts back at the turn of the 20th century – takes a near 50 year hiatus – and then starts again in ’53. Today we’ll explore more about the cars and the brochures … Continue reading
Hi Gang… This article was a very important article for John Bond – new owner of Road and Track Magazine as of November 1952 – just three months prior to this article’s publication. How could I know this article was … Continue reading
Hi Gang… Today’s article is from intrepid Singer Motor Car Historian, author, and writer Peter McKercher from Ontario, Canada. Peter was kind enough to put together a history of Vern Gardner’s BMC Singer sports car and extend what we know … Continue reading
Hi Gang… Imagine how excited the automotive world was with the introduction of fiberglass sports cars at the November ’51 Petersen Motorama. And by the Fall of ’52 – nearly one year later – enthusiasts and entrepreneurs across the country … Continue reading
Hi Gang… Until recently, I thought that a significant gap existed between Bill Devin’s debut of his Panhard bodied race car bodies and his later sports car bodies. And I was right – for a time. The more I researched … Continue reading
Hi Gang… I have the honor of introducing you to another new contributor here on Forgotten Fiberglass: Joel Driskill. Recently, Joel and I crossed paths on our mutual interest in the sports car built by Chuck Manning in the early … Continue reading
Hi Gang… Recently we introduced Plasticar’s ’53 brochure which featured the Marquis that was in the process of being introduced to the world. In that same brochure was their other car – a car that was first built in aluminum … Continue reading
Hi Gang… Back in the ‘50s, you could build your own sports car with a fiberglass body purchased from Glasspar, Victress, Woodill, and others or…..you could bite the bullet and built your own car from scratch – from soup to … Continue reading
——————- Note: This is the second part of a two part story concerning the history of Plasticar’s Marquis. Click here for the other part of this story ——————- Hi Gang… In the previous article about this car, the Marquis by … Continue reading
——————- Note: This is the first part of a two part story concerning the history of Plasticar’s Marquis. Click here for the other part of this story ——————- Editor’s Note: In honor of my recent trip – and new friends made … Continue reading
Hi Gang… Today’s story is a result of the generosity of two friends: Bob Murray and Harold Pace. During my recent travels during the Christmas holidays of 2011, I spent some time with Bob Murray of North Carolina. Bob was … Continue reading
Hi Gang… There were some fantastic fiberglass sports cars built here – and across the pond. How ‘bout Switzerland? The Enzmann is one of a few sports cars made there, and has a powerful legacy both in Europe and here … Continue reading
Hi Gang… Boa sports cars are coming out of the woodwork! Erich Schultz has one. Guy Dirkin has one. Whose next to buy a Boa? These fiberglass bodied custom coachbuilt sports cars came with an aluminum monocoque chassis, and are virtually unknown today. … Continue reading
Hi Gang… The automotive story of “Multiplex” is one of the most interesting stories I have the honor of sharing here on Forgotten Fiberglass – and over time you’ll learn why. “Multiplex” is an automotive company which had its roots … Continue reading
Hi Gang… Consider what it must have been like at the start of building of your own sports car back in the early 50’s. I imagine many conversations went something like this…. “Hey! Check out this cool Victress/Glasspar/Woodill/Meteor/Byers/Allied body I … Continue reading
Hi Gang… I’ve recently been calling Howard “Dutch” Darrin the “Rock Star” of fiberglass – and with good reason. He produced a wider variety of prototypes and actual cars built from fiberglass in the postwar years than anyone else at … Continue reading
Hi Gang… Darn that Glenn Brummer! He finds the best stuff across the internet and then sends me links to either the information directly or something of interest on eBay. I gave up how much he’s cost me on purchases. … Continue reading
Hi Gang… This is the first in a series of articles on the design, construction, build, and creation of the sports car ride at Disneyworld – known by all as “Autopia” which opened in July 1955. When Walt Disney began … Continue reading
Hi Gang… All hail Bob Cunningham and Glenn Brummer. Two eagle-eyed scouts that surf the Internet constantly and found the beautiful 8×10 glossy press photo of the Shark roadster by Glenn Gumms – Henry Covington’s early partner on producing molds … Continue reading
Hi Gang… Let’s talk Renault! Did you know that rear engined Renault automobiles nearly outsold VW’s in the late ’50? Believe it or not, Renault was on its way to beoming the next “big gun” foreign car in the market. A 1958 … Continue reading
Hi Gang… I live vicariously thru my good friend Javier Munoz and his growing Alken collection. Javier has two of them ready to restore, and he’s chomping on the bit to begin them. I’m keeping my fingers crossed and waiting … Continue reading
Hi Gang… Rick D’louhy and I can’t stand ambiguity. Smoke and mirrors are not our friend. Conjecture and wild tales while fun – cause irreparable harm to the truth. Clear, precise, first-person facts are what we’re after, and that’s one … Continue reading
Hi Gang… This is a question I’ve asked over and over. That is, when does a sports car become a custom. Or vice versa. Although the car in today’s article isn’t my first choice to have this debate, it certainly qualifies. … Continue reading
Hi Gang… I found my first “Shark” years and years and years ago. Click here to read the story of a young man and his car (Shark….in this case). Back in 1984 we were traveling across country. This was a … Continue reading
Hi Gang… We’re on a quest. A Kaiser-Darrin history quest. When did the Darrin sports car debut? And….when did it officially become the Kaiser Darrin 161 sports car? Inquiring minds want to know. I know we can look it up in … Continue reading
Hi Gang… I’ve been exploring the early years of Devin’s “car life” lately on Forgotten Fiberglass. How many of you have heard of the “Type S” or “Sports” model – designed by Murray Nichols for Bill Devin? He offered it … Continue reading
Hi Gang… Glasspar made hardtops for sports cars – in a greater quantity and variety than most enthusiasts recognize. They made hardtops for the following sports cars: Glasspar G2 Woodill Wildfire Jaguar MG Porsche Austin-Healey Singer Corvette And maybe more … Continue reading
Hi Gang… Two cars in one? How could you resist??? And it’s a great looking car too! Innovation permeates everything having to do with fiberglass. We tend to think of this in terms of vehicle design – but it also … Continue reading
Hi Gang… Rick D’Louhy and I are trying to paint a picture – a fiberglass picture – of the 1950’s. To do so we’re assembling all known articles big and small. And…. laying on top of the articles is the … Continue reading
Hi Gang… I was born in 1962 – on the last day of May. And I was born to love cars. I don’t know why. Family lore tells me that when I was very young – before kindergarten – I was … Continue reading
Hi Gang… I’ve written about Beau Hickory before – and I’ll write about him again. The last article I shared was by Michael Lamm and focused on his “Virgo” VW based sports car. Click here to read about Beau Hickory’s … Continue reading
Hi Gang… Beau Hickory is one cool guy. Rick D’Louhy and I tracked him down in Arizona a few years ago, and we haven’t been the same since. Beau doesn’t look at things the way others see them – he … Continue reading
Hi Gang… I love turning over the reins of more and more stories to talented researchers, builders, historians, and now…up and coming enthusiasts – like Kerry Griffin. I first met Kerry on my trip back from California with belly tank … Continue reading
Hi Gang… There are so many cool fiberglass sports car brochures out there. Wait ‘till you see what we at Forgotten Fiberglass have in store for you over the 2011 summer! By the time we’re done, you’ll think fiberglass sports … Continue reading
Hi Gang… I wish all research into fiberglass sports cars of the 1950’s was so easy. Today’s story is like shooting fish in a barrel! I’m sure it won’t happen again, so I have to savor every minute of it … Continue reading
Hi Gang… The more you study the fiberglass sports car history of the 1950’s, the more you end up studying design. “Ground zero” for the fiberglass sports car industry was California, and in fact for a short time in the … Continue reading
Hi Gang… I love little known fiberglass sports cars. Those are the ones that capture my attention – just like Glasspar’s Ascot which debuted in early 1955. I’ve written once before about this car and it was to highlight its … Continue reading
Hi Gang… I feel fortunate to be blessed with so many good friends – even outside of our own fiberglass fanatics (since you are reading this….each one of you is one of these..). In the past few years I have … Continue reading
Hi Gang… Let’s try a short story today – and maybe another story later today. I just can’t get enough of the vintage fiberglass sports car stories! 😀 Going thru the magazine archives last night, I uncovered a bit more … Continue reading
Hi Gang… It was 1955 and Bill Tritt and Glasspar were getting ready for their next big “splash”. Tritt fancied the classics – 1920’s and 1930’s cars. His son Matt tells me that he liked the long hood, excellent weight … Continue reading
Hi Gang… From looking at the picture above, I’m sure you thought to yourself…”Jaguar C-Type.” Not so fast gang….its much much better. And smaller too! Back in 1954, Kelly Buchanan and college friend Bob Arnt decided to build a sports car … Continue reading
Hi Gang… I’ve been fortunate to have excellent help from all corners of our planet in terms of research into fiberglass sports cars of the 1950’s and 1960’s. In the past year, two folks who are both automotive historians for … Continue reading
Hi Gang… Checkout the first photo posted in our story. It shows the unveiling of the new fiberglass sports car built and designed by Kjell Qvale (pronounced “shell” (Kjell) “ka-vah’-lay” (Qvale)) back in 1952. If you look carefully at the … Continue reading
Hi Gang… Many of you know that my first fiberglass car was a “Shark” roadster. The story about my finding the Shark and restoring it represents the beginning of everything we know today as “Forgotten Fiberglass.” The Shark was not … Continue reading
Hi Gang… When Rick D’Louhy and I first located information about the BMC sports car on a Singer (UK) chassis, we thought it was a foreign make and filed it in our “future” studies folder – for when our research … Continue reading
Hi Gang… Paul Sable has been a strong supporter of vintage fiberglass sports cars over the years – and has become a great friend too. I first met Paul at the Amelia Island Concours d’ Elegance in 2007 when he was … Continue reading
Note: This is the first in a series of articles on the Glasspar Racecar, built by Bill Tritt of Glasspar, Ted Mangels and Ed Martindale of Mameco, and Clem TeBow and Don Clark of CT Automotive. This car was first … Continue reading
Hi Gang… As Rick D’Louhy and I continue our pursuit of documenting the “Forgotten Fiberglass” cars of the 1950’s, special ones bubble to the surface based on design, obscurity, prominence, rarity, and interest. One car combines all of these elements, and … Continue reading
Hi Gang… Scott Perrot is the friend….. I almost never had. About 2 years ago, I started making trips across the country – both with my research compadre Rick D’Louhy and without him -when my adventures might turn into a … Continue reading
Hi Gang.. More “firsts” here in the world of fiberglass. We first covered the UK’s first fiberglass car called the Allard Clipper. In our last story we reviewed the first plastic car in America – Ford’s 1941 Plastic car. So let’s go back … Continue reading
Hi Gang… The best research often has nothing to do with effort or expertise. It often happens to just be plain old fashioned luck. That’s what happened to me when I was first contacted by Jules Heumann about a year … Continue reading
Hi Gang.. We tend to think that fiberglass bodied sports cars originated in America – heck – the west cost of America at that. But that’s just not the case. As Harold Pace coached me years ago….besides America..fiberglass bodies and … Continue reading
Hi Gang… Steve Steers recently wrote me about chassis/frame design and his experience with these cars. Steve grew up in the 1950’s and watched his father build a Victress and Glasspar back in the day. Steve also recently finished restoration and completion of a … Continue reading