UC_Portolio_Book

37 1954 Victress S1—Fred Bodley Special (2021) The 1954 “ Motor Trend ” Victress S1 has a great individual history, but also quintessentially represents the history of the American Post - War Sports car. The Motor Trend Victress Special, has direct touch points with, George Barris, Wally Parks, Bob D ’ Olivio, Robert “ Pete ” Peterson 4 and indirectly with Wunibald Kamm 5 and others notable designers. The car represents much of the Los Angeles, California scene in the early post war years. In understanding the Motor Trend Victress, you will understand an important period in American Sportscar history. In early 1954, Fred Bodley, the Technical Editor of Motor Trend magazine, acquired a Victress body from the newly formed Victress Manufacturing Company, which was a partnership between Doc Boyce - Smith and Merrill Powell. In 1952, Boyce - Smith had asked Art Center graduate and friend, Hugh Jorgensen, to design a car body to “ out Jag the Jaguar XK 120”. Jorgenson was inspired by the 1939 BMW 328 Mille Miglia “ Bugelfalte ”. The Victress used a slightly less pronounced, “ trouser crease ” (bugelfalte in German means “ trouser crease ”) on top of the fenders, but the lines of the side - profile and elongated tail were quite similar to the BMW. It is noteworthy that renowned German aerodynamic expert, Wunibald Kamm, built a 1/10 scale model of the BMW and wind tunnel tested the cars shape as part of the BMW ’ s development. Kamm, is best known for his truncated tail designs, but elongated tails were part of his work and the long tail continued into the early 1970’ s with Porsche Le Mans cars. In 1953, a Victress bodied car claimed the title of the Worlds Fastest Sports car when it ran 202 mph at the Bonneville trials. This was an excellent attribution to the value of the long tail design by Wunibald Kamm. Starting in the late 1940s, Fred Bodley co - owned a high - end repair shop for Rolls Royce, Bentley and other foreign cars in Los Angeles, California. In the early 1950s, he started working at Trend Inc., the umbrella company owned by Pete Peterson who owned Motor Trend, Hot Rod and other automobile magazines, and retained his shop too. Bodley used a chassis from a mid - 1940 ’ s Ford, which he shortened and modified to fit the 102 inch wheelbase of the Victress S1 body. The front and rear firewalls cross - braced the chassis creating a relatively ridged frame, suitable for a sports car. Power was a Ford flathead engine, three - speed transmission, with a torque tube to a ford differential. The car had drum brakes all round, and Ford suspension and steering. Bodley passed away soon after finishing the Victress and fellow employee of Bodley at Trend Inc., Chuck Glover, bought the Victress and enjoyed it thru the early 1960s. 1939 BMW 328 Mille Miglia “ Bugelfalte ” or “ trouser crease ” which is a reference to the top style line on the fenders. Victress S1/ S1A bodies have this “ trouser crease. ”