Ask Merrill Powell: Victress Manufacturing Co-Founder Click Here To Learn More About Merrill How To Post Your Questions This page is for you to ask Merrill questions about Victress and where he can respond. Scroll down and post your questions … Continue reading
Merrill Powell Co-Founder of Victress Manufacturing (founded 1952) Designer of Victress C2 and C3 Coupe America’s First Fiberglass GT Coupe Sports Car of Original Design About Merrill Powell Interview Listening Time: 36 Minutes Cars Yeah! April 12, 2014 Articles “The … Continue reading
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 … Continue reading
Hi Gang… During the time folks were in Tampa preparing for their visit to the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance, we had a chance to visit not only “Fiberglass Farms” but also our workshop – “The Glass Menagerie.” The photos below … Continue reading
Hi Gang… Have camera….will travel. In this case to Amelia Island in 2010 and later the following week to Fiberglass Farms. Back in 2010 we had a class of Forgotten Fiberglass cars at the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance. Click here to review the cars … Continue reading
Hi Gang… We are honored to participate this year in the “Import & Kit Nationals” hosted by Carlisle Events – less than one month away from today. First, let’s review what they have to say on their website announcing the … Continue reading
Hi Gang… Merrill Powell, parner and co-owner of Victress Manufacturing with Doc Boyce-Smith from 1953-1961, turns 82 years old today. Happy Birthday Merrill! Our “fearless leader of fiberglass” has joined us at nearly every significant fiber-event in the past 6 … Continue reading
Hi Gang… As promised earlier, I’ll show “more” and talk “less” about each of the cars that appeared at the Milwaukee Masterpiece Concours d’ Elegance on August 28th, 2011. Click here to read more about the success of vintage ‘glass … Continue reading
Hi Gang… Today I’m pleased to present part 3 of “Fiberglass Day” which was held at the Petersen Automotive Museum on Saturday June 26th, 2010. During this segment, Merrill Powell from Victress takes the stage and discusses the history of … Continue reading
Merrill Powell Co-Founder of Victress Where Alton Worked and LeMans Coupe Built It is great reading Doug Ward’s recollections of Al Johnson, and the development of his LeMans Coupe. As VP of Victress Mfg. Co., where Al worked and built … Continue reading
————————————— Cars – Show – Pebble Beach – Dream Cars of the 50s (2023) – Worksheet ————————————— Confirmed Cars 1: 1948 Kurtis-Omohundro Comet – Wayne and Amy Gould (Martin and Blake Godbey) 2: 1953 Maverick Sportster – Tom and Barb … Continue reading
American Dream Rides Pebble Beach, 2023 Overview Class Information American Dream Cars of the 1950s By the 1950s, auto manufacturing was back in full swing worldwide, and many expressive cars were offered by automakers. But a few individuals wanted something … Continue reading
Contributors To Byers Sports Car History We’re proud to release this newly created section of Undiscovered Classics that focuses on the history of the Byers Sports cars. Our research into this marque started in 2007, and took the help of … Continue reading
Be Unique Why Buy An Undiscovered Classics Car? It’s All About The Dream 5 components: Who built it and how Who designed it These cars epitomized later American sports car design Achievements in design/styling at Motoramas across America … Continue reading
Interview: Bill Quirk Foreman of Victress Manufacturing and Friend of Alton Johnson I first met Doc Boyce-Smith (Co-Founder of Victress Manufacturing where LeMans Coupe was built) when he and Hugh Jorgensen were working on the very first Victress buck. It … Continue reading
Photos: As First Seen in June, 2010 … Continue reading
Interview: Doug Ward Friend of Alton Johnson If I may, I would like to chime in & add to these comments. I never knew or met Strother McMinn, but certainly knew of him. I was a good friend of Alton … Continue reading
People Interviewed LeMans Coupe Team 1 Ed Monegan (one of the original 3 members of LeMans Coupe Team #1) Marvin Horton’s Family (Sheryl – daughter, Gavin – grandson of Marvin and Steven – son of Marvin) Merrill Powell – Vice-President … Continue reading
Interview: Ed Monegan Original Team Member (Team 1) Back in early 2006, I did a series of interviews with Ed Monegan – the last remaining member of the 3-man team that created the molds for cars built by Team 1. … Continue reading
Alton Johnson’s LeMans Coupe Aftermath of Crash at Malibu Canyon Alton’s LeMans Coupe was lost in late 1960 after a terrible crash in Malibu Canyon, California. The photos of the crash site were taken by Bill Quick at the time. … Continue reading
Alton Johnson’s LeMans Coupe Photos of the Car Being Built at Victress (North Hollywood, California) The photos below were taken at Victress Manufacturing while Alton Johnson was an employee there. Alton worked for Bill Quirk who was the Foreman at … Continue reading
Note: This is a multi-part story. Click here to view all parts of this story Hi Gang… When we acquired the 1955 Californian Sports Car (now confirmed as the “LeGene”) we were at the very beginning of our research and … Continue reading
Undiscovered Classics Contributors Click on each name below to view articles and information contributed Domestic Contributors Geoff Hacker – Founder Rollie Langston Guy Dirkin Craig Johnson Nate Bowne Kyle Feller Merrill Powell Paul Sable Dennis Kazmerowski Erich Schultz Joel Driskill … Continue reading
Hi Gang… Just 3 photos – that’s all we get. But what tantalizing clues there are to perhaps finding this car – and maybe it survives today. I know our friend Gordon Maltby of the Porsche 356 Registry would be … Continue reading
Hi Gang… In the last two years, several of our Undiscovered Classics aficionados have begun restoration of the Victress C3 coupes – and that’s great news. We have Rodney Packwood in California restoring his Packwood Special, John Steggles in Canada … Continue reading
Hi Gang… Thanks to the help of Dan Palatnik, we’ve been releasing more artwork of Undiscovered Classic cars of late. You can see some of his work that we recently released via the link below: Click on this Link to … Continue reading
Hi Gang… We’re proud to release a newly created section of Undiscovered Classics that focuses on the history of the Byers Sports cars. Our research into this marque started in 2007, and took the help of many to complete. This … Continue reading
Victress Manufacturing Home Page 1952 – 1961 This section of our website is under construction as of 10/1/2019. We will continue adding details and features over the next few months so check back and see our progress. And….welcome to our … Continue reading
Raiders of the Lost Cars The Greatest American Car Story NEVER Told What People Are Saying… “In attempting to capture the significance and passion inherent in Undiscovered Classics, I can’t seem to shake the graphic allusion to Indiana Jones and … Continue reading
Hi Gang… Did you know that here at Undiscovered Classics we also find, research, restore, show and sell one-off and limited production RV’s? Actually, we didn’t know that either until one day I took stock when I went to our workshop … Continue reading
Customer Cars In Restoration With Undiscovered Classics We are currently managing and restoring cars for many of our customers. Here are some of these cars being restored. We’ll be adding additional detail about their restorations soon. 1952 Voodoo Gardner Designer: … Continue reading
Hi Gang… Here’s an interesting time capsule that was sent in to us from Bill Quirk – foreman for Victress Manufacturing in the 1950s and early 1960s. While the article is about the culture of hot rodding in the San … Continue reading
Paul Terhorst Packard Enthusiast and My First Car Mentor I Met Paul in 1976 When I Got My First Collector Car – a 1955 Cadillac Fleetwood. He helped me restore this car and gave me a great foundation of car … Continue reading
Fiberglass Automobile Body Construction 1955 … Continue reading
Showcase 1954 Victress S1A Design By Doc Boyce-Smith and Hugh Jorgensen Owner: Guy Dirkin, Clermont, Florida — The Lost Motor Trend Victress — Built By Fred Bodley – Motor Trend Technical Editor History of This Car The 1954 “Motor Trend” … Continue reading
Guy Dirkin Saved a Famous Victress, Built a Byers Race Car, Owns A Sport Custom, Races a GT 1 car, Participates in SCCA and Vintage Races 1949 Panache Sport Custom to Appear at the Cigar City Concours d’Elegance in Tampa, … Continue reading
Undiscovered Classics & Forgotten Fiberglass Review The History Of Our Site And Organization The Beginning “Undiscovered Classics” began as “Forgotten Fiberglass” with the acquisition of my 1961 Covington Tiburon Coupe. In the spring of 2006, my friend John Bowen called … Continue reading
Undiscovered Classics Showcase Cars that we show and share across the country. Some are restored, some are survivors, some are in restoration and some have left our collection. All are fun to see and learn more about. Have fun! Explore … Continue reading
A Tribute To Rick D’Louhy Forgotten Fiberglass Raconteur, Car Show Creator, Historian, Best Friend And More In The Beginning Who doesn’t like a car adventure – and boy have I had one over the last 40 or so years. But … Continue reading
Business Cards – Collect ’em All We’ve always viewed cars as “art” and have taken this theme to our business cards from the start. These cards are also a subtle way of creating interest in rare “Undiscovered Classics” and “Forgotten … Continue reading
New Acquisitions Here are some of the cars we’ve hunting and successfully brought down to Undiscovered Classics in Tampa, Florida in the past year or so. 1949 WOW Cadillac Convertible (1 of 1) Built in the late 1940s, The WOW … Continue reading
Undiscovered Classics Research Approach First: We’ve combed thru (and are still working on) reviewing all articles on fiberglass cars in American 1950’s enthusiast magazines such as Hot Rod, Motor Trend, Road and track and other well known titles. Second: We’ve identified thru … Continue reading
People Interviewed As Part of Research This shows (in process) a list of the people we interviewed to learn the details and history of these cars and their companies. This list also includes first-person histories or research written by individuals … Continue reading
Our Story – A Historical Perspective Introduction From concept cars to teardrop streamliners… From vintage race car transporters to lakesters… From race cars to sports cars… From legendary custom cars to even concept dune buggies… Geoff Hacker and his team have … Continue reading
Hi Gang… I am most honored to make this announcement. Fred Roth has been a guiding force in recognizing the importance of limited production American sports cars since the beginning – and I do mean “beginning.” It was Fred’s interest in … Continue reading
Hi Gang… The day before the Amelia Concours is my favorite – mostly. Rick D’Louhy and I we tend to run to the last minute, which makes it an exciting day, but one that I feel I need to “prep” … Continue reading
Hi Gang… Fiberglass Farms has been around for nearly a decade. Wow! That’s longer than I would have guessed 🙂 It started out small but has steadily grown as Rick D’Louhy and I have picked up the pace in saving … Continue reading
Hi Gang… For the last several years we have done small “tours” of Fiberglass Farms as time allowed and interested folks surfaced. Time and time again we’ve been asked about the origins of this special place, and we’ve shared the … Continue reading
Hi Gang… Over the last several years, those of you who have been restoring Victress S1, S5, S4, C2, and C3 cars have asked about the types of hinges that Victress used on their cars. Ask and you shall receive … Continue reading
Hi Gang… A long time ago in a far, far away place I saved my first fiberglass vehicle – a 1962 Shark Roadster. It was a memorable experience and had a lifelong impact on my interest in cars. Click here … Continue reading
Hi Gang… You thought I may have finished with our stories of Carlisle this year? But wait – there’s more! Quite a bit more and several more stories. And off we go… One of the stars of the Carlisle, … Continue reading
Hi Gang… More and more, Rick D’Louhy and I are trying to get to different parts of the country to meet and greet all the fiberglass folks, see their restored cars and projects in process, and hear fantastic fiber-stories too. … Continue reading
Hi Gang…. “So how was Carlisle?” you might ask….” In one of our last stories back in early May, Rick D’Louhy and I were prepping for our trip to participate in the Import and Kit Nationals held yearly in Carlisle, … Continue reading
What People Are Saying About Undiscovered Classics Featured Quotes We’ve honored to be recognized by established leaders in the field, historians, journalists and more. Here are some of the quotes from across the world about who we are and what … Continue reading
Exhibitions Exhibitions Which Featured Undiscovered Classic Cars 2023 Petersen Automobile Museum – Exhibition #1 in Planning Stage Coming Soon Petersen Automobile Museum – Exhibition #2 in Planning Stage Coming Soon Sarasota Classic Car Museum (Multiple Years) On Display: Multiple Cars … Continue reading
Hi Gang… The “Import & Kit Nationals” show at Carlisle, Pennsylvania which is being held later this month keeps getting better and better. I covered the seminar that we’ll be hosting in a story here last week. Click here to … Continue reading
Hi Gang… About a year ago, I heard from an enthusiast in Manitoba, Canada – Ed A. – who wrote the following: Geoff, I just found your web site tonight which is quite fascinating. I have a friend here in … Continue reading
Hi Gang… Back in early 1953, Woody Woodill sent a Wildfire to France for the Paris Auto Show. Interesting, one showed up recently at the Retromobile auto show this year in France – but it’s not the same car – … Continue reading
Hi Gang… It’s been a busy year. Lots of reorganization, renewal, and even a “reset” or two, so let’s see if we can end this year with a few new “Forgotten Fiberglass” stories. In the past many months, I’ve been … Continue reading
Hi Gang… Great news….we found another Victress employee – and a very special one at that. Barry Tousley joined Victress in late 1953 – the same time as Merrill Powell – at the ripe ole’ age of 9 (Merrill was … Continue reading
Hi Gang… Well…I’ve been looking for this car for 10 years and the trailer keeps getting colder and colder. Back in 1954, Merrill Powell of Victess Manufacturing penned a beautiful design for a 94 inch wheelbase coupe and called it … Continue reading
———– Motor Trend Magazine was so impressed by the success of fiberglass sports cars and the excitement over them that by late ’53 they featured a 6 page article featuring 7 different fiberglass cars you could purchase or build yourself. They … Continue reading
Hi Gang… Sports Car Illustrated started out with their first issue in July of ’55 and met with great success. One year later they released a special edition (one issue only) titled “International Auto Salon.” While I’m still researching if … Continue reading
Hi Gang… The guys at Victress were always thinking, and in this case they were changing their approach to marketing once again. Here in ’56 they released yet another new design for their company – a foldout brochure. For the … Continue reading
Hi Gang… From 1960 thru the year 2000, the story of Jim Byers and his sports cars – the SR-100 and CR-90 – was left virtually untold. Along the way Harold Pace and John Furlow came on the scene, and recognition … Continue reading
Hi Gang… This is our ninth in a series of “spotlights” on sections of a Buyer’s Guide for fiberglass sports cars published by Car Craft in March, 1956. Click on the link below to review all fiberglass cars discussed in … Continue reading
Hi Gang… How did our favorite ‘glass companies get new business? Was it thru articles in magazines? Was it thru brochures? How ‘bout racing events at Bonneville and road courses? And course thru word of mouth – right? So how … Continue reading
Hi Gang… I have been searching for the original copy of this ad for 5+ years. And one of our Forgotten Fiberglass Fanatics delivered it once again. I work with the greatest gang of car guys in the world 🙂 … 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… Doc Boyce-Smith was busy putting together the materials people needed so that they could build their fiberglass sports cars in ’55. He wanted his customers to be successful in every way. Recently I wrote about his first effort … Continue reading
Hi Gang… Here it was in ’55 and Victress Manufacturing was doing great. The new coupe models had been released (C2 and C3) and they were heading to the Petersen Motorama for their biggest appearance yet showing an example – … Continue reading
————— Note: This is a multi-part story on the advertising, flyers, and brochures put out by Hellings in support of Victress sales. These primarily occurred when Hellings was the exclusive distributor for Victress in ’53 and early to mid ’54. … Continue reading
Hi Gang… We’ve established in previous stories what happened to Victress and Byers in the ‘60s: Victress sold their company…lock, stock, and barrel….to Les and Joan Dawes of La Dawri Coachcraft in 1961 Byers bodies first appeared in Kellison sales … Continue reading
————– Note: This is the fourth in a series of articles here at Forgotten Fiberglass that showcase a story called “The Glassmakers 1960” published in Sportscar Graphic in May-June 1960. In this 1960 article, Almquist, Devin, Kellison, LaDawri, and Victress were showcased. We have … Continue reading
Hi Gang… So many people are part of the “Forgotten Fiberglass Phenomenon.” Allow me to introduce the “characters” of this story and thank them for their help, guidance, contributions, and collaborations in every way: Scott Odell, Merrill Powell, Marshall Foxworthy, … Continue reading
————————— Note: The next series of stories here on Forgotten Fiberglass are going to focus on the brochures and associated customer communication of the Atlas / Allied Fiber Glass Company. We’re lucky here at Forgotten Fiberglass to have become friends … Continue reading
Hi Gang… I love the “overview” articles sprinkled throughout the automobile enthusiast magazines in the ‘50s. They give us a good view of the industry at a point in time – as seen thru the authors of the era. For … Continue reading
Hi Gang… Rick D’Louhy and I aren’t just out there gathering information on the vintage ‘glass cars of the ‘50s and beyond. We’re looking to find all historical reference materials, stories, and locations where the legendary material was dreamed of, … Continue reading
Hi Gang… Today’s article is a result of a recent magazine find from Ray Wise – owner of Rollie Langston’s ‘50s built Byers SR-100 and avid vintage ‘glass sports car fan. Ray recently came across a stash of cool old … Continue reading
——————– “Some of the facts revealed here may shock the reader….” How To Draw Cars of Tomorrow (1952) That’s what’s written on the back cover of Bob Gurr’s 1952 book on car design, and it gives the book a … Continue reading
Hi Gang… What a long article this is – but worth the read in every way 🙂 I’ve been putting off sharing this article with you not because it wasn’t important – it is. The article was printed just after a … Continue reading
Hi Gang… I’ve been resisting writing about quarter-midgets for quite some time – for several reasons. First, they are new to me and there is a great amount of information out there on the internet about them. And second…. they … Continue reading
Hi Gang… Car designers are artists – sculptors as you would say – creative down to the last bone in their bodies. Their talents inspire us in thought, action, and deed, and when it comes to the automobile…. many of … Continue reading
Hi Gang… Here at Forgotten Fiberglass we look high and low for information concerning vintage ‘glass in every way. And when I first came across this article several years ago, I wondered where this wonderful Victress C3 coupe might be … Continue reading
——————————- Note: This is the third of a three-part story on the Dick Foster Victress Special. Click here to review all parts of the story. ——————————- Hi Gang… Some of you wrote in and asked more about what the Dick Foster … Continue reading
——————————- Note: This is the second of a three-part story on the Dick Foster Victress Special. Click here to review all parts of the story. ——————————- Hi Gang… How did I find the Dick Foster Victress Special and get it home? … Continue reading
——————————- Note: This is the first of a three-part story on the Dick Foster Victress Special. Click here to review all parts of the story. ——————————- Hi Gang… Here’s your “Forgotten Fiberglass” question for the day: How many people who built a … 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… Victress Manufacturing started as a dream by Doc Boyce-Smith and his good friend Hugh Jorgensen who was an Art Center student of Los Angeles, at the time. While Doc was the owner of the company, Jorgensen was the initial … Continue reading
Hi Gang… Back in May 2011 (was it that long ago?) Daniel Strohl of Hemmings Motor News featured a great story on Steve Steers Victress S1A special in “Hemmings Muscle Machines“. The story was called “The 58th Variety” and Dan has … Continue reading
————————————— Car Craft Magazine, February ’54, commenting on the Petersen Motorama held in November, ’53: “One of the most interesting bits in the show was the heavy sprinkling of Fiberglass creations. These cars came in all shapes, sizes and for any … Continue reading
Hi Gang… As we’ve discussed in earlier stories, the Victress S1 body became available to the public in late 1952, and by the summer of 1953, Hellings was the sole distributor for the company, and had completed one of the … Continue reading
Hi Gang… I love hearing from new people every day here at Forgotten Fiberglass. Back in October 2007, Denny Allen wrote in with the following letter: Dear Geoff, I thought you might be interested in a fiberglass body I purchased … Continue reading
Hi Gang… We’ve not been idle here at Forgotten Fiberglass, of late. In fact, today marks the first release of logos for each of the car marques within our vintage ‘glass entourage. And on this day, I’m pleased to release … Continue reading
Hi Gang… We’ve been talking about Howard “Dutch” Darrin of late, so why stop now? How ‘bout some of you helping us out with learning more about this neatly designed car. One of the pieces I acquired from the Frank … Continue reading
Hi Gang… From time to time, you read articles here at Forgotten Fiberglass that in some way involve recognition of the Art Center in Los Angeles, California. This is an important reference for me and recognition on our behalf that many … Continue reading
Hi Gang… Let no one say that vintage fiberglass is long gone and forgotten. Actually….I can’t think of a more exciting category of cars that is rising in fame, interest, respect, and celebration as quickly as our glass beauties. “Let no … Continue reading
Hi Gang…. As Mark Twain said so many years ago….”Reports of my early demise are greatly exaggerated.” We’ve been busy at Forgotten Fiberglass headquarters down here in Tampa Florida – coming back from a trip where we saved the “Voodoo … Continue reading
THE FORGOTTEN FIBERGLASS FAMILY— OUR CONTRIBUTORS — “We’re Honored To Have So Many Passionate Contributors to the Cause – People We Consider to be Part of the Forgotten Fiberglass Family” The Forgotten Fiberglass Family: Forgotten Fiberglass is much larger than … Continue reading
Hi Gang… How many Victress S5’s have you seen? Ok….let’s back up….what is a Victress S5? It’s a petite version of the famous Victress S1, but rather than the 100 inch wheelbase that was unique to the S1, the Victress … Continue reading
Hi Gang… This is our fifth in a series of “spotlights” on sections of a Buyer’s Guide for fiberglass sports cars published by Car Craft in March, 1956. Click on the link below to review all fiberglass cars discussed in … Continue reading
Hi Gang… Wow! Full pages ads for fiberglass sports cars? Simply amazing. By 1960, the second generation of fiberglass sports cars you could build yourself was beginning to take force in the industry. Glasspar, Woodill, Allied, Venus, Grantham Stardust….these were … Continue reading
Hi Gang… Back in the day, which Victress received more top prizes than any known fiberglass car in the 1950’s? I thought that question might go unanswered for years as Rick D’Louhy, Erich Schultz, Guy Dirkin, Phil Fleming, Rollie Langston, … Continue reading
Hi Gang… I first wrote about Jerry Sutton’s Victress C3 coupe back in January of this year. I had located a short article that appeared in the July 1960 edition of Hot Rod, and Jerry’s ride (Victress C3) looked to … Continue reading
Note: This is the second installment of a 3 part series of articles on “Designs That Influenced The Styling Of The Victress S1 And Glasspar G2.” Here are links to the other parts of the story: Click Here to Read Part … Continue reading
Note: This is the first installment of a 3 part series of articles on “Designs That Influenced The Styling Of The Victress S1 And Glasspar G2.” Here are links to the other parts of the story: Click Here to Read Part … Continue reading
Hi Gang… This story is for my good friends John Gulow and Javier Munoz – both who are Nic-L-Silver Battery “Pioneer” car enthusiasts, and one (Javier) who owns at least one of these cars. Background of Project: George Lippincott was … Continue reading
Hi Gang… How many people customized their C2 coupes? Who was the first to do so? I bet you’ve been asking these questions for years, and now we can begin to offer some possible answers. Let’s review a bit about … Continue reading
Hi Gang… I love “Mysterions.” Doesn’t everyone? “Mysterions” are a class of cars that Rick D’Louhy and I have so named based on their unknown history. They are truly “Mystery Cars” in every way. The 1950’s was a time when … Continue reading
Hi Gang… As you know by now, our big event for this year will be a “Fabulous Fiberglass” Category at the Milwaukee Masterpiece Concours d’Elegance held in August 2011. “Forgotten Fiberglass” cars that are tentatively scheduled to appear include: Geoff … Continue reading
Hi Gang… I’ve been doing detailed interviews over the past few months with several of the folks from Victress about the history of their company and car designs. One of these folks, Mel Keys, sent photos in of an interesting … Continue reading
Hi Gang… Where O where is Jim Webb of Berkeley? I’ve been searching for him and his family for many years now, and I’ve found everything but Jim. Thanks to Hugh Nutting who was a friend of his, we have … Continue reading
Note: 3/28/2011 I’ve just published another story on Jerry Sutton and his Victress C3. Click here to review the story on Jerry Sutton’s Victress C3 Coupe. —————————————- Hi Gang… I love magazines that featured our favorite fiberglass sports cars – … Continue reading
Hi Gang… Building a fiberglass sports car early in one’s life usually has long-term implications. That’s what happened to Keith Kaucher when he first came across a LaDawri Castillian in shop class in the late 1970’s, and ultimately resulted in … Continue reading
Hi Gang… “Treat yourself to the terrific pride, prestige and satisfaction of owning and driving a high-spirited, Custom El-Morocco sports car. You will experience a new concept of driving…a new way of life!” That’s the summary shown on the Almquist … Continue reading
Hi Gang… I know the automotive world is not all fiberglass. However, there are times when some of you…. or some of me…. will want to share something – not related to the fiberglass genre in any way. In this spirit, … Continue reading
Hi Gang… I have exciting news to share! Just on the heels of 2010 where cars of the “Forgotten Fiberglass” class debuted at the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance and “Fantasies in Fiberglass” was a 6 month display at the Petersen … Continue reading
Note: This is the final installment of a 3 part series of articles on the Johnny Dark Victress, Virgil Rice, Mack Hellings, Bob Stelling, the Hellings Company, and Stelling and Hellings. Here are links to the other parts of the story: … Continue reading
Note: This is the second installment of a 3 part series of articles on the Johnny Dark Victress, Virgil Rice, Mack Hellings, Bob Stelling, the Hellings Company, and Stelling and Hellings. Here are links to the other parts of the story: … Continue reading
Hi gang… Rick and I are always on the search for new information and new ways to understand the fiberglass cars movement of the 1950’s. Sometimes this takes us on weeks and months long road trips. Other times our research focuses on … Continue reading
Note: This is the first installment of a 3 part series of articles on the Johnny Dark Victress, Virgil Rice, Mack Hellings, Bob Stelling, the Hellings Company, and Stelling and Hellings. Here are links to the other parts of the story: Click … Continue reading
Hi gang… Well…. it’s starting to happen. More people are noticing the “Forgotten Fiberglass” cars of the 1950’s and they’re doing something about it. More museums are recognizing these cars for exhibits. More Concours d’Elegance events are creating classes around … Continue reading
Hi Gang… How many Victress Models were there??? Let me count the ways…. When I first met Merrill Powell (co-owner of Victress from 1953-1961) back in 2006, we spent a lot of time reviewing the history and models that they … Continue reading
Hi Gang… How many automobile designs do you know are patented / copyrighted? Well….if you know at least “one” then you can add a few more to your list – some of our wonderful fiberglass cars of the 1950’s. Research … Continue reading
Hi Gang.. Back on June 26th, the Petersen Automotive Museum scheduled a “mid-exhibit” event to punctuate their “Fantasies in Fiberglass” display that was being held throughout most of 2010. Click here for more information concerning this event held in 2010. … Continue reading
Hi Gang… Let’s review some of the greatest (recent) mysteries of vintage fiberglass sports cars: Who wrote the article showing a Glasspar G2 body being pushed off a cliff and…. Where/when did it appear in print? Who designed and built … Continue reading
Hi Gang… Sorry I’ve not been posting more stories of late. But I’ve had a great excuse…..we’re just just about 30 hours away from the start of “Fiberglass Day” at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles, California. And I’ve … Continue reading
Hi Gang… A fair number of Sports Specials have been surfacing in the past few years in need of restoration or completion. We’ve had great fortune that these cars survived in any way, shape, or form, so we welcome each and every one – … Continue reading
Hi Gang.. And you Victress owners out there thought you had everything… Fiberglass body builders back in the day were first and foremost businessmen. So it shouldn’t surprise you that many of the firms producing beautiful fiberglass bodies in the … Continue reading
Hi Gang… Rick and I have scoured the country looking for vintage fiberglass history and stories. During this journey, we’ve met and befriended many people, but I knew I met my match when I met Steve Cowdin of Colorado. What … Continue reading
Hi Gang… I know the automotive world is not all fiberglass. However, there are times when some of you…. or some of me…. will want to share something – not related to the fiberglass genre in any way. In this spirit, … Continue reading
Hi Gang… There’s so much information about vintage fiberglass cars – if you know where to look. One of my favorite pieces of information comes from the 1954 Trend Book Titled “Manual of Building Plastic Cars”. What a gem of … Continue reading
Hi Gang.. As most of you know, we had a great time at Amelia Island on March 14th at the Concours d’Elegance. Bill Warner and Tom Cotter put on a masterful show – worthy of all recognition and respect for … Continue reading
Hi Gang… I’m back – and with more energy than ever…. What an amazing first three months of 2010 for vintage fiberglass cars. Just keeping up with the fiberglass events across the nation was hard enough for me. The “Fantasies in … Continue reading
Hi Gang… Welcome to the new “Forgotten Fiberglass” Website. I’m very excited to move to this new format for several reasons…. It is a place where we can feature stories of vintage fiberglass cars and discuss them too – with … Continue reading
Selected Interviews Ed Monegan Original Member Team 1 Click Here To View Kathy (Tifft) Cooper Daughter of Edward Tifft, Team 2 Click Here To View Doug Ward Friend of Alton Johnson Click Here To View Merrill Powell Co-Founder of Victress … Continue reading
Mark Greene TV, Podcast and Automotive Inspirer About Mark Green and Cars Yeah Learn About Cars Yeah Here Mark Green on Cars Yeah A Series of Short Interviews with Mark Cars Yeah & Undiscovered Classics Undiscovered Classics Interview (Geoff Hacker) … Continue reading
Victress in the Press and on the Field 2006 – Present Vintage Articles, On The Web, In Print, Podcasts, Videos and Events/Concours Attended On The Web First Victress S1A To Hit The Market In A Decade Bids To $150,000 in … Continue reading
Undiscovered Classics: Personality Profiles These are Personality Profiles of some of the Undiscovered Classics Team – participants, contributors and more. This list continues to grow so check back for additions. We’re happy to have a large and expanding “tent” that … Continue reading
Note: This is a multi-part story. Click here to view all parts of this story Hi Gang… We’ve been researching this car since 2008, but it took our appearance on Ray Evernham’s Velocity TV show “AmeriCarna” in 2015 for us … Continue reading
2015 Concours d’Elegance Appearances Ameila Island Concours d’Elegance: Forgotten Fiberglass Class 1953 Meteor SR-1 and More Boca Raton Concours d’Elegance 1946 Bill Burke Belly Tank Streamliner Award Won: “Rolling Sculpture” Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance 1950 Ultra Modern Mercury – Leo … Continue reading
Recent Quote About Undiscovered Classics: Geoff Hacker and his crew are indeed scholars who embark on perilous adventures to obtain rare artifacts. Literally. I’ve seen them in action. They’re obsessive and not afraid to get dirty digging. And, by making … Continue reading
Hi Gang… When Rick D’Louhy and I started down the path of researching and celebrating the rich and detailed history of vintage fiberglass sports cars in America our first and most enthusiastic supporter was Bill Warner of the Amelia Island … Continue reading
Hi Gang… One of the most comprehensive articles that summarizes the history of the Guy Mabee Drilling Company Special was written by Bruce Gross back in 1995. Today we are honored to share it with you here at Forgotten Fiberglass. Great … Continue reading
Hi Gang… As part of our first “Victress Weekend” of stories, let’s have a look at one of the first magazines to cover the record-breaking 200+ mile an hour run of the Guy Mabee Special. This was covered in January, … Continue reading
Hi Gang… Well we did it – and we owe it to all of you who made this happen. The visionaries who saw what such a show could mean. The car owners and families willing to endure intense restoration schedules to … Continue reading
Hi Gang… I know the automotive world is not all fiberglass. However, there are times when some of you…. or some of me…. will want to share something – not related to the fiberglass genre in any way. In this spirit, … Continue reading
Hi Gang… Mysterions… why do I keep bringing up this name and talking about these kinds of cars? Because it’s time we bring them forth and recognize them for everything they represent. The 1950’s was a time when competent builders … Continue reading
