The world of fiberglass kit cars is vast, and there are numerous craftsmen and manufacturers that created striking models with short-lived lifespans. This, in turn, makes these cars quite rare but also near impossible to document, and subsequently, value. There are some of these oddballs that are so striking, however, that even in their one-hit wonder status, they tend to command a following. This 1955 Victress C2, a rare coupe designed by Merrill Powell, was built on an MG chassis and was designed to go wheel-to-wheel with other sports cars of the era. This rare Victress is now available here on craigslist for $15,000 with a 1958 MGA and a ton of parts included.
When you see fiberglass kit cars, there’s sometimes a bit of a reality shock when you get up close: you see the differences between a production model and a kit. The Victress is likely no different, but when’s the last time you one in finished form? How would you know if it was ever going to go together the way you hoped? That’s sort of the risk with a kit car, but at the same time, there are relatively few rules when it comes to making adjustments and changes to what the original designer intended. However, when it comes to the Victress, this wasn’t just a one-off enterprise.
Victress was founded as the Boyce-Smith Company, and the coupe’s designer Powell joined the company after his military service. After buying in as a shareholder and becoming vice president, Powell would be instrumental in Victress rising to fame after building a car that would go onto win a land-speed record. The “Guy Mabee Special” would reach over 203 miles per hour at Bonneville, and would cement the fledgling company’s reputation as a sports car builder. Using VW Beetles and MGAs like this one as the donor chassis, the completed C2 (and subsequent models like the C3) were used by sports car enthusiasts. While details are scarce, it seems likely the deceased owner of this Victress and MGA intended to use the car shown above as a donor of sorts.
The gorgeous Victress body would drop right atop the MGA chassis with the engine and transmission left in place, making the conversion relatively straightforward. The drivetrain combined with the lightweight fiberglass body was a capable combination, but the one inside the Victress is currently locked up. The seller notes that the car was removed as part of an estate settlement and left outside; the MGA was brought up to Oregon in the 80s and partially disassembled, with no other work completed. Numerous engines and spare parts are included (as you can see above) and the seller wants to sell everything for $15,000. He’ll sell the Victress by itself for $6,500 and the MGA for $3,000, but it makes sense to buy the package if you have the space. Thanks to Silodrome for some of the backstory and Barn Finds reader T.J. for the tip.
Have seen pictures of the Victress and they are really good looking cars when all put together. This is going to be a challenge but the end result should be worth it.
I have owned two examples of this kit car model, both also found in Oregon. They are always projects, because even when they’re done, they’re never really finished. Mine ran and drove though, and probably a bit faster. The first had a 409 V8 and 4-speed, the second an old 392 Hemi! The windshield & rear window I think were 1950 Plymouth or Dodge.
This car was covered last October here:
https://barnfinds.com/rebodied-mga-chassis-1957-victress-c2-coupe/
Guess he’s trying to sweeten the pot with the MGA, which has had virtually every coupe-specific part stripped. Seller notes that the package is a deal because the parts are worth far more at retail. Always makes me wonder, then why don’t you sell the parts yourself for retail? The answer is time. I’ve stripped and sold plenty of cars for parts, and it’s more than a chore!
I’ve never heard of Victress before. Very sleek cars in coupe form. For anyone else interested, there is another informative article about this car and the history of the manufacturer with old pics and advertisements, by the tip submitter, @silodrome, on their website of the same name – silodrome.com.
Also, Moss Motors makes a drop -in supercharger for MGA engines. This has the potential of being a really good performer.
If the cars go their separate ways the parts may turn out to be the real find , good NOS British is getting hard to find, the repo junk everyone’s selling made in India and China isn’t anywhere close to old OEM ,that includes Lucas!