Hi Gang…

I love the drawings that appeared back in the day in automotive magazines.  The cartoons were fabulous, the technical detail impressive, and the artistry that went into creating some of the transparent illustrations of sports cars were nothing less than stunning.  Period.

The Beauty of Illustrations:

So…. did you know that many of our fiberglass cars from back in the day were actually illustrated in this way to interest readership and inspire builders across America?  I can think of several including Devin, Meteor, and others as well.  Take for instance today’s article from the 1959 March issue of Road and Track.

In this article, John Bond, owner/publisher of Road and Track magazine was lighting a fire under his readership by not just describing his personal experience of building his own sports car, but then taking this to a new height and sharing a beautifully rendered illustration of the car too.

How much more could you ask for if you were interested in building one of these cars?  I’m surprised thousands of Byers SR100’s didn’t appear within a year of this magazine – for this inspiring illustration alone.

By the way….this drawing was better than many of the documents builders had back then to build a car from scratch.  In this drawing, you’ll notice where to “Z” the frame, the use of two master cylinders, the dashboard layout, and many other details too.  Very nicely done and a handy bit of information, if you were going to build the car.  In fact, I think it would make a great poster too!

Finding the John Bond Byers SR100

Based on research in recent years, I’ve come to discover that the John Bond Byers SR100 – the car he built back around 1958-1959 with help from Jim Byers – survived thru 1977.  And….I believe we’ve located this car and are documenting this fact with the help of the Bond family (John Jr.) as well.  Here’s the car we’ve found and with a few more dashes or research, we should have full confirmation soon of its heritage.  Click here to review the story in Hemmings about the John Bond Byers SR100.

Summary:

For those of you who enjoy reviewing vintage literature, this particular magazine (March 1959, Road and Track), features another story with a Byers car, and an ad for the company too.  A great addition to your collection for the Byers SR100 owners out there.  Be sure to checkout the scans of this article below.  I’ve also enlarged the text of the article to make it easier to read.

Hope you enjoy the story and artwork today gang, and as always…

Glass on…

Geoff

——————————————————————–

Click on the Images Below to View Larger Pictures

——————————————————————-