Hi Gang…
Timing is everything in life and the timing of today’s story sets the perfect stage for those wanting to learn more about Victress. Why might you ask? Because in less than a week a beautifully restored and built Victress S1A roadster will be presented at the Mecum auction in Chicago.
Click Here To View The Victress S1A Roadster Up For Auction on Saturday October 10, 2015
So straight talk from one of the original co-owners of Victress Manufacturing – Merrill Powell – couldn’t occur at a better time for those wanting to learn more about Victress and their history.
We are honored to have great relationships with some of the finest automotive journalists out there, and today’s story is from one of those journalists – Mark Greene. I first wrote about Mark and his website “Cars Yeah!” in late 2014, and here is what Mark shares on his site about his passion and his website:
CarsYeah podcast is a 5 day a week show hosted by me, Mark Greene. I am an incurable automotive enthusiast interviewing successful automotive entrepreneurs who live a lifestyle around their passion for automobiles.
I will take you on their journey, get under the hood, and provide some inspiration. You can find the show on iTunes, Stitcher Radio, YouTube, or here on the Cars Yeah website Podcast pages.
Don’t forget to subscribe and get your free Fill ‘R Up Book.
Sit down, buckle up and enjoy the ride!
So….let’s have at it gang. Merrill’s interview is just over 30 minutes long and this discussion uncovers details about Victress you’ve never heard before. A fascinating interview with great interaction by host and interviewee.
Click Here to Listen to Merrrill Powell’s “Cars Yeah” Interview
Summary:
Thanks again to Mark Greene for hosting such a fine website and sharing interviews with such a diverse group of car guys and gals – 5 days a week. Very impressive! And you can learn more about his mission and website by clicking on the following link:
Click Here To Visit The Home Page of “Cars Yeah”
Hope you enjoyed the story, and remember gang…
The adventure continues here at Forgotten Fiberglass.
Geoff
Hi Merrill,
Nice to hear from you too. Thanks for the reminder & yes, that was the electric car, being mocked up for Nickel Silver. BTW, About a year or so ago, I went on a hunt to see if We could find the crash site of Altons coupe in Malibu Canyon. I was with Eric Schultz & his wife. They had decided to start at the lower outlet of the canyon, near the coast & I thought it had happened closer to the tunnel. I DID find the exact curve in the road and the final resting place at the bottom of the canyon. I drew a detailed map with GPS coordinates and e mailed it to Eric. I believe Eric went back later and did not find any trace of the parts & pieces in the small forest down there. It went down about 300 feet in total, breaking up in the descent.
I also, just today, found an old photo of the Corvair special that Alton was building when he was at Brunos Corvette in North Hollywood. I was also helping with some of the plaster on wire mesh procedures and in designing a ram air scoop design so the engine fan could be de-clutched at speed.
Doug Ward
Thanks for the Memories, Doug.
I wish Alton and Doc were still around to enjoy the “fifteen minutes of fame” that Forgotten Fiberglass has brought to Victress, and to yours truly. That small economy car you mentioned was probably the prototype for the Pioneer electric car for Nickel-Silver Battery Co.
Merrill
I listened to the interview with Merrill Powell and enjoyed it very much. Especially the part when He was asked what car he would like to be if he could be a car. He said the “LeMans Coupe” as created in design by John Bond and drawn by Strother McMinn, and built by my good friend, Alton Johnson. As Merrill eludes to, Alton built that car there at the North Hollywood, Calif. facility in his after hours time.( He was an employee there too) I was one of Alton’s friends and did indeed help him from time to time in the build. When the car was finished, Alton & I would enjoy driving it around the San Fernando Valley, cruising through Bob’s Big Boy resterant up & down Hollywood blvd, and some short country trips thru Simi Valley & along the coast around Malibu. I vividly remember the weekend road tests we put the car through at Riverside raceway, put on by Road and Track Magazine, too. It was a cover car for Road and Track Magazine in August, 1959 too. I also remember being around the crew there at Victress when visiting Alton. Doc Boyce Smith, Merrill Powell, Bill Quirk. I saw the Bob’s Big Boy character being made there as well as several molds & mock ups of different cars under construction. One very attractive one was of a small economy car & wonder if it ever got produced. It was quite a good looking ” economy box”. I have more memories of the Victress environment and of my time spent with Alton but this post got a little longer than I thought it would.
Also, thanks so much to Geoff Hacker and Rick DeLouhy for your contributions to a big part of my growing up car guy memories. ” Glass on”, Geoff.