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1959 Salvatore Salerno Devin
A Time Capsule – Preserved in Original Condition
— Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance 2024 Award Winner —
— Museum Ready With Presentation Shared in History Book —
History of This Car
Salvatore Salerno started building a small, fast sports car with American power and European styling / handling in 1959. To achieve this, he acquired a mid-1950s Triumph TR2/TR3 frame, a Willys 6 cylinder F-head engine and a Borg-Warner 3 speed transmission with overdrive. Most importantly, he chose one of the most stylish bodies to wrap around his creation—the Devin sports car body which was derived from the Italian-designed Ermini sports car.
The Triumph chassis utilized an 88 inch wheelbase with a front/rear track of 45 inches which was a nice size for performance driving. Salerno altered the Devin body by glassing in the hood and made it a flip front which opened up at the cowl. This allowed the driver greater and faster access to the engine area. He also sectioned the body and made it taller. This had the effect of making the cockpit lower for the driver and passenger. A hood scoop was also added which tunneled fresh air into the cockpit and was operated with a vent control on the dashboard. He fitted his car with a tonneau cover—one that is still usable and with the car today.
The Salvatore Salerno Special is a rare example of an unrestored, unmodified sports car that was built and finished in era making it one of less than ten known American Specials in original condition. It has a level of finished engineering that most handbuilt specials of the time did not achieve. It looks like a well-finished factory effort that would have been very practical for everyday use except for the lack of a top. And it has been fortunate that the Salvatore Salerno Devin had a list of loving owners that cared for it and never let it go into dis-repair – making it a true time capsule for all to appreciate.
The only work completed on it after its long-term storage was maintenance to make it running and performing well—it’s as Salvatore left it for us to enjoy. The Salerno Special’s most recent appearance was at the 2024 Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance where it received a class award for preservation and condition. It also appeared at the 2022 Gasparilla Concours d’Elegance where it won an award of distinction.
Click Here To Learn More About Devin Sports Cars And Their History
Articles About This Car
Click on the Links Below To Review This Article
The Incredible “Salerno Special” Devin Roadster
Silodrome: June 21st, 2024
By Ben Branch
This Jeep-Powered American Sports Car You’ve Never Heard Of Beats Up On Porsches And MGs
Jalopnik: June 26th, 2024
By Bradley Brownell
The Salvatore Salerno Special
Barnfinds: July 1st, 2024
By Michelle Rand
Technical Specifications
Body Design:
- Body Design By Bill Devin
- Modified and built by Salvatore Salerno
Drivetrain:
- 1952 Willys Hurricane 161 cu. In. engine
- Willys 3-speed manual transmission with overdrive (cable and button operated at stick shift)
- Triumph rear axle
- Electric fuel pump
- Single exhaust
Chassis, Suspension and Brakes:
- Mid 1950s Triumph TR2 / TR3 chassis / suspension
- Near 50/50 weight distribution when driver is seated in car making this car effectively a front mid-engine sports car
- Custom wheels built with offset specific to Salvatore Salerno’s Devin
- Triumph front and rear drum brakes
- Wheelbase: 88 inches
- Track: 45 inches
Exterior:
- Leather straps holding trunk and front clip down
- Inner front fender rubber straps holding front clip down to firewall (behind front wheels)
- Custom made bumpers—front and rear
- Front of car is “flip front” or “clam shell” which allows easy and quick access to drivetrain
- The front bumpers hold the painted surface of the front of the body safely away from ground when hood is open
Hood and Trunk:
- Hood & trunk prop hold panels up when needed
- Trunk locks from inside cockpit with hidden trunk release (pull) knob behind driver’s seat
- Truck also can be accessed via hinged panel behind seats that is key-locked—nice added security feature for contents in car
Interior:
- Grab bar for passenger
- Door springs hold door open when extended
- Radio in dash with speakers hidden
in the kick panels - Full dashboard instrumentation with oil, amp, temperature, gas, rpm and speedometer gauges
- Hi-beam floor switch
- Horn button on dashboard
- Ashtray in center of dashboard with
cigarette lighter next to it - Hood scoop is dedicated for cockpit ventilation with knob on dashboard to open / close vent
- Driver’s convex rear view mirror expands what can be seen behind the car when driving
- Dual exterior mounted side mirrors—made by Talbot Company Mirrors of West Berlin
- Original tonneau cover fitted to cockpit
Additional Features:
- Wire wheel hubcaps
- Wipers with dashboard control knob
- Parking lights / turn signal lights
- Emergency brake—pulled straight up to lock
- New custom-built aluminum fuel tank
- 12 volt electrical system
Production:
- This is the only car that Salvatore Salerno built
Book (50 pages)
History and Background of This Car
View More Than 35 Vintage Photos of Car Being Built
The Salerno Special: Salvatore Salerno’s Devin
One Man’s Dream
Click Here To Read Book
Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance – 2024
Recognized With Class Award For Preservation and Condition
Salvatore’s Devin Received a “Class Award” at the 2024 Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance. This was the second time it won an award since being acquired by Undiscovered Classics in 2022.
Video (3 minutes)
View Video of Devin at Amelia Island Concours 2024
Mike Puma Interviewing Robin James (March, 2024)
Click Here To View Video
Gasparilla Concours d’Elegance – 2022
Recognized With Award of Distinction
The Salerno Special received its first award – an Award of Distinction – at the 2022 Gasparilla Concours d’Elegance. This was it’s first appearance in a show since the 1960s.
From Left to Right: Barb Philipsek, Roger Philipsek, Mike Puma, Craig Johnson and Paul Sable
Video (5 minutes)
View Video of Devin Being Driven on the Street
Tampa, Florida (March, 2024)
Click Here To View Video
Video (15 minutes)
View Video by Undiscovered Classics Which Includes Close-ups of Salerno Special,
Discussions of Car By Geoff Hacker and Robin James (separate segments) and Devin Being Driven on the Street.
Tampa, Florida (March, 2024)
Click Here To View Video
Modern Photos
