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	The Forgotten Era, 1950 - 1965

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TITLE	AUTHOR	YEAR	COMMENTS
Forgotten Fiberglass (Vol 1: 1951-1956) American Sports Car Specials with Drop on Bodies	Geoff Hacker & Rick D'Louhy	2008	Geoff Hacker and Rick D'Louhy of Tampa and Ormond Beach Florida are currently researching a book on Fiberglass cars of the 1950's. It is tentatively titled "Forgotten Fiberglass - American Sports Car Specials with Drop on Bodies". At this point, three separate volumes are planned. The first focuses on fiberglass history and cars from 1951-1956. The second volume focuses on the years 1957 thru the early 1970's. The final volume is is also being researched at this time and covers foreign fiberglass cars from the UK, France, Germany, Canada, South America, New Zealand, Australia, and other countries too. Some of the cars they will be including are the Brooks Boxer, Glasspar, Ascot, Woodill Wildfire, Irwin Lancer, Scorpion, Wasp, Edwards, Grantham Stardust, Venus, Meteor, Kurtis, Maverick Sportster, Victress, BMC Singer, Vale, Allied, Atlas, Multiplex, Bosley, LaSaetta, Chicagoan, Lightning, Rockefeller Yankee, Triplex, Hollywood Plastics, Snohomish Plastics, Almquist, Alken, Sorrell, Bangert, McCormack, LaDawri, Kellison, Byers, BoCar, Devin, LeMans Coupe, and many more. If you can help and have literature, ads, cars, ownership experience, first hand experience, or know others that can help provide the detail here, please contact Geoff Hacker or Rick D'Louhy using the information below. Please see the, "About Us" page for contact and background information for Geoff Hacker and Rick D'Louhy.

Heart of Glass	Daniel Spurr	2000, 2004	Book covers Fiberglass Boats and the Men Who Made Them. Two of the 16 chapters cover the early history of fiberglass cars. Chapter 3 reviews the birth of fiberglass cars in the 1940’s, and Chapter 5 reviews Bill Tritt and Glasspar and related early 1950’s cars. 388 pages
Encyclopedia of American Cars 1930 to 1942	James Moloney	1977	The majority of this book covers cars between the years in the title. The last pages of the book - 373 to 383 are dedicated to small production runs of automobiles. These are predecessor to the first generation fiberglass cars of the 1950’s. 384 pages
Encyclopedia of American Cars 1946-1959	James Moloney and George Dammann	1978, 1980	The majority of this book covers cars between the years in the title. The last section of the book is titles “Broken Dreams” by George Dammann, and covers over 100 pages. Many of these cars are the early first generation fiberglass cars, and could have been a book split off by itself. Excellent detail and pictures throughout. According to George Damman and Jame Moloney in personal conversation on 6/16/06, there was one update to the book, and it’s not marked as such. That is, there are two editions of this book, but the later edition is not noted in the copyright info at the beginning of the book. However, it can be identified by having additional information about the Grantham Stardust being available in both the 1950’s and 1980’s as shown on page 361. If page 361 in your book only discusses the 1950’s version of this car, it’s the first edition of this book. 416 pages
The Big Guide to Kit and Specialty Cars: American Classics from the Past and Present	Harold Pace	2000, 2002	Two editions of book as of 6/16/2006 A comprehensive listing of kit car manufacturers starting from the 50s to current day! Includes the most complete compilation of kit car pictures ever -- many courtesy of Petersen Publishing's archives (Motor Trend, Sports Car Graphic, Hot Rod & Trend book series) 250+ pages
Vintage American Road Racing Cars, 1950-1970 (Hardcover)	Harold Pace and Mark Brinker	2004	One of the best books on the American Road Racing scene of the 1950s and 1960s. 'Vintage American Road Racing Cars, 1950-1970' is by noted author, vintage racer and automotive historian Harold Pace and associate Mark R. Brinker. The book covers "The way we were," period rules, racing car manufacturers, hundreds of American Specials of the period, Engine swap specials, American racing kit car manufacturers, American racing engines, racing chassis and a great appendix. 304 pages
Standard Catalog of American Cars 1946-1975	John Gunnell	2002	4th edition Last section of book is called “Alternative Cars, 1946-1975” and covers about 80 pages of cars including first generation as well as 1940’s fiberglass cars 976 page book
Hot to Build a Fiberglass Car	Boyce-Smith and Kelley	1953	Boyce-Smith was the manufacturer of the Victress Edmond Kelly was president of Allied Products Engineering Corporation Shows Victress cars throughout 37 pages manual
Fiberglas Auto Body Construction Manual	John “Jack” A. Wills	1952 - First Edition	Shows pictures of the Wasp/Skorpian throughout Newer editions of book exist with additional detail and pictures First edition is 28 pages in manual format
Customizing with Fiberglass	George Barris	1963	Hot Rod Magazine Custom Library Shows pictures of Almquist, Custom Plastic Associates cars, Coupe by LaDawri, Woodhill Wildfire, Astra, Devin, Avanti, Savage, and various custom cars 64 page booklet
Victress: America’s Fastest and Most Beautiful Sports Car Bodies	Victress Manufacturing Company	Unknown exact year - ideas?	Shown in book are Victress S-1A, S-4, S-5, Victress Dragster, Victress Mameco Frame kits, 16 page booklet
The Glassmakers ...1960	Bob Rolofson	1960	Sportscar Graphic magazine article May-June 1960
Manual of Building Plastic Cars	Robert Lee Behme	1954	Motor Trend Booklet 10 chapters and appendix which cover fiberglass cars of today, business opportunities, plastics in your home, boats of reinforced plastic, fast glass, age of plastics, making reinforced plastics, building a sports car chassis, car bodies from plastics, and material cost Some of cars reviewed are Bill Tritt’s Glasspar, Woodill Wildfire, Grantham Stardust, Vale, Skorpion, La Saetta, Crosley Maverick, Rockefeller, Victress, Convaircar, Kaiser Fraiser Darrin, Corvette, Marathon, and French production models, Italian models, British, and others too.
The Beaulieu Encyclopedia of the Automobile	Nick Georgano	2002	Over 3 volumes and several thousand pages, these books cover all cars ever made Considered to be the best source for coverage of all vehicles made in the world. Very expensive - sometimes over $300 per volume

Geoff Hacker, Ph.D., Tampa Florida is in the process of compiling magazine articles throughout the 1950’s that focus on fiberglass cars, and related topics. In addition, if you have more references that should be included on this list, please let him know via e-mail at geoffrey@grhacker.com.