Savoy Automobile Museum, Cartersville (Georgia), USA
until July 13, 2025
In the late 1950s, a completely new material revolutionized car body design: fiberglass. Extremely strong and very light, fiberglass made it possible at the time to replace steel in bodywork, particularly for small production runs. Its lightness was also an asset for sports cars, which could benefit from a favorable power-to-weight ratio and good performance while using low-powered engines. One of the best examples is the Alpine Renault A 110, winner of numerous rallies in the 1960s and 1970s, and even World Champion in the discipline (1973).
Because it doesn’t require complex tooling, fiberglass makes it possible for many enthusiasts to build their own cars. These enthusiasts range from the simple hobbyist wishing to build a unique car to the entrepreneur who sees a business opportunity. What’s more, this type of manufacturing also enables sales in the form of a body kit to be adapted to a known chassis, often based on a VW Beetle, which is robust, inexpensive and available in large numbers. As is often the case, many will attempt the adventure, but few will see it through to the end.
For this new exhibition, the Savoy Automobile Museum had the idea of bringing together 9 of these cars, representative of fiberglass bodywork in the 1960s. Some are unique models like the XKC roadster (1965), since restored and very much inspired by Jaguars, or the Novetta Coupe on loan from Steven Briscoe, who built it in 1966.
Fiberfab and Mirage, on the other hand, were long-established companies building small series of models. The Fiberfab Jamaican is a sporty coupe sold in kit form, which could be adapted to British Triumph TR3 or TR4 chassis, MG MGA or, like the one on display, an Austin Healey 3L base. Mirage built racing cars for the CanAm series, and derived road-going versions such as the Manta roadster, equipped with a V8 delivering 400 hp.
More confidential, the Amante GT is an elegant little coupe based on a 110 hp VW 1.8L engine, produced in 1969/70 in about 150 units. Characterized in particular by its retractable headlights, the car is on loan from Bill Voegele, who was the builder of this car. Also based on VW, the Cimbria was distinguished by its “gullwing” doors and was delivered as a kit.
Others, such as the Thor coupé (1958) or the Shark roadster (1962), had the ambition of the series, but were not as successful as expected. The Shark is original in that its streamlined lines are reminiscent of a concept car, and its Renault Dauphine base is rather rare in the United States.
The photos on this page belong to the Savoy Automobile Museum, no right of reproduction without the express permission of the museum.