1952 Victress S1A Roadster rare Kellison Devin vintage race car Special Project

1952 Other Makes G80 Description

1952 Victress S1A roadster project.

This auction is for what you see in the pictures.

It is an early Victress S1A roadster. This car has been in the process of restoration, fiberglass body all done and painted but not polished. A lot of time and great work has been done to this car. The frame is special built steel tube frame . This is a seriously built frame, all steel. The frame has been powder coated grey. It looks like it is set up for early Buick suspension with drum aluminum brakes.

It has the original trunk aluminum hinges.

Custom fabricated windshield frame copper plated.

Special head rest with optional fin.

The project was first found in Bakersfield CA in early 1980 and was just the body only with no chassis. It then ended up with a partially build car then sold off in 1992 to a Milo ... in North Hollywood. It lost its suspension component some times during its restoration.

This is for the body and frame only, no engine, transmission or suspension.

All work done on this car looks to be of the highest level.

Information on the Victress Car Co.

The Victress Manufacturing Company was founded in California in 1952. Its first model, the S1A was designed by Hugh Jorgensen, a Los Angeles Art Centre graduate, and William "Doc" Boyce-Smith in either 1951 or 1952. Jorgenson also designed the S4. The S1A was fitted on a variety of chassis. However those from the factory were built on either a Ford or a custom chassis from Mameco Corp. They usually had small-block Chevrolet engines. The S1A featured in the 1954 movie Johnny Dark which starred Tony Curtis and Piper Laurie.

In 1954 Merrill Powell acquired 49 percent of Victress and joined the company. A design student, Powell, designed the C2 and C3. The C2 came out in 1954 and the C3 in 1955. Less than 50 Victress coupes were sold in the 1950s, but the other models did well. The sole Victress distributor was Hellings Co of Vanowen St, North Hollywood.

In 1958 Victress was approached by George Lippincott Sr. of the Nic-L-Silver battery company to create a fiberglass body for a battery-powered sports car. Lippincott wanted Victress to create body using existing Victress body parts, with some subtle changes. Hugh Jorgensen, took charge of the body design which was based around the S4. Named the Pioneer, the car debuted at the 1959 Los Angeles County fair.

By 1961 Victress had too much government contract work to be able to concentrate on car bodies. They were also contracted to make the Olympic rings for the Squaw Valley Winter Olympics. Its moulds were sold to Les Dawes (LaDawri) who rebadged the Victress as LaDawri and renamed the models.

LaDawri re-engineered the bodies adding doors, door jams and liners. Between 120 and 150 Castilian and Sicilian coupes were sold by them.

This is a no reserve auction. We reserve the right to end the auction at any time.

Bid to own not to view.

Bill of Sale Only.

The seller shall not be responsible for the correct description, authenticity, genuineness, or defects herein, and makes no warranty in connection therewith. No allowance or set aside will be made on account of any incorrectness, imperfection, defect or damage. Any descriptions or representations are for identification purposes only and are not to be construed as a warranty of any type. It is the responsibility of the buyer to have thoroughly inspected the vehicle and to have satisfied himself or herself as to the condition and value and based upon that judgment solely. The seller shall and will make every reasonable effort to disclose any known defects associated with this vehicle at the buyer's request prior to the close of sale.