In the mid-1950s, Leslie Albert Dawes and his business partner Don Wright conspired to create a new kind of kit car in Canada, made from the latest material, called fiberglass. The two called their company LaDawri Coachworks, an amalgamation… more»
LaDawri
Mar 12, 2023 • For Sale • 11 Comments
Yard Find: 1954 Ford V8 LaDawri Conquest Project
By the 1950s, advances in fiberglass manufacturing had sparked a frenzy in the car business. The Corvette debuted in fiberglass. British makers climbed aboard the trend with cars like the Lotus, TVR, and Turner. Every car magazine contained tiny,… more»
Jun 3, 2021 • For Sale • 20 Comments
Parked For 50 Years: 1957 LaDawri Conquest
This rare 1957 Ladawri Conquest is a kit car of the best kind, a vintage model built to be used as a build-it-yourself track car. Sporting classic sports car looks and lightweight construction, relatively few remain in undisturbed condition… more»
Mar 11, 2021 • For Sale • 24 Comments
Rare Victress S4 Found!
When I first saw the pictures of what is labeled as a LaDawri Victress in the ad, I knew it wasn’t like any LaDawri Daytona or Conquest I had seen. After a quick consultation with Geoff Hacker, the world’s… more»
Jul 1, 2020 • For Sale • 19 Comments
Electric Prototype: 1959 La Dawri Conquest
Here’s one that probably asks more questions than it answers. It’s unusual on two fronts as it is a rare, small-production specialty car known as a La Dawri and it has been converted for electric operation. There’s not too… more»
Apr 3, 2020 • For Sale • 21 Comments
Ex-Museum Find: 1951 LaDawri Speedster
It’s not that uncommon for auto museums to raise money to complete projects by selling other projects or even completed cars. This 1951 LaDawri kit car (okay, specialty assembled vehicle) is just that, being offered by a private museum… more»
Feb 14, 2020 • For Sale • 18 Comments
Black Plate Rarity: 1957 LaDawri Sebring
Kit cars are an acquired taste — which I happen to have! This 1957 LaDawri appears to be one of the few kit cars I’ve seen that has been absolutely assembled correctly — or in this case re-assembled correctly. Thanks… more»
May 24, 2019 • For Sale • 13 Comments
Beautiful Project: 1960’s LaDawri Daytona
While it’s a big project, this LaDawri is an incredibly tempting find to undertake. You simply don’t find these Daytonas in any condition often, so when one pops up, it’s worth a look. And unlike a few of the… more»
Apr 5, 2018 • For Sale • 23 Comments
Barn Find Conquest: 1962 LaDawri “Ferrawri”
As of recent, I’ve developed quite a soft spot for the quirky Canadian/Californian company LaDawri Coachcraft that produced some amazing fiberglass cars, like the 1962 LaDawri Conquest found here on eBay. Some might be fooled by the original owners… more»
Mar 12, 2018 • For Sale • 19 Comments
Castillian Cast-Away: LaDawri Victress Coupe Kit
This big, black cast-away coupe actually represents a very interesting bit of fiberglass car history, and for only $650 as found here on Craigslist – it would be a (relatively) inexpensive way to build one of the last surviving… more»
Aug 20, 2017 • For Sale • 20 Comments
BF AUCTION: 1961 LaDawri Daytona Body
Back in the fifties and sixties, fiberglass bodied sports cars were hot! People built them, they raced them, and many companies made money producing them. LaDawri was one of the biggest players in the game and this Daytona was one… more»
