One of the cool things that set Kelmark Engineering apart from some of the other kit car manufacturers is that they also offered finished products, complete and ready for the buyer to hop in and drive away, along with… more»
Kit Cars
Sep 17, 2023 • For Sale • 26 Comments
VW Powered: 1975 Sterling Kit Car
The Sterling story starts in 1960s London with two friends, Richard Oakes and Phil Sayers. Oakes was particularly smitten with the Lamborghini Miura; one story says he spent lunch breaks gazing at a Miura – housed in a nearby… more»
Aug 25, 2023 • For Sale • 20 Comments
Supercar Kit Project! 1978 Manta Mirage
The Mirage was a mid-engine V8 kit car built by Manta Cars in the 1970s and 1980s. It was considered a street-legal road racer (aka “supercar”) and was vastly different than the VW-powered kits of the era. This one… more»
Aug 23, 2023 • For Sale • 11 Comments
Period Build: 1956 LaDawri Sebring
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»
Aug 11, 2023 • For Sale • 22 Comments
Stunning Restoration! 1962 Kellison J6 Panther
When the subject of kit cars arises, typically what comes to my mind most often are seventies garage projects built on top of a VW donor chassis, such as the Bradley GT. I’ve always been keen on the idea… more»
Aug 2, 2023 • For Sale • 11 Comments
Rare Fiberglass Find: 1957 Devin Body
It isn’t every day that you come across something so unusual and rare that you just want it, no matter if it makes sense to take on. This Devin body might just be one of those finds that’s going… more»
Jul 30, 2023 • For Sale • 8 Comments
Real Deal: 1968 Meyers Manx Project
We’ve told the story of Bruce Meyers and the Manx several times in the pages of Barn Finds, but it’s worth mentioning again that while the Meyers Manx wasn’t the first dune buggy, it was certainly one of the… more»
Jul 24, 2023 • For Sale • 16 Comments
No Reserve: 1970 Fiberfab Valkyrie Kit
Ah, kit cars. These were once a great way for an enthusiast to slip behind the wheel of a car that looked exotic but that didn’t cost a fortune. The category peaked during the 1960s and 1970s but is… more»
Jul 10, 2023 • For Sale • 11 Comments
1 of 200: 1973 Meyers Manx SR Kit Car
Bruce Meyers set the recreational vehicle world on fire in the late 1960s with the Meyers Manx, a dune buggy kit based on a shortened Volkswagen Beetle undercarriage. That success led to the development of the Manx SR (short… more»
Jul 2, 2023 • For Sale • 15 Comments
No Reserve 1960 Volkswagen Dune Buggy
Beach weather is here, so it’s time to investigate this 1960 Volkswagen Dune Buggy, here on eBay, in a no-reserve auction bid to just $5500. It runs and drives well, so you can motor it home from Brooklyn, New… more»
Jun 27, 2023 • For Sale • 37 Comments
Radical Rarity: 1971 Brubaker Box
Like many kit cars of the era, the 1970s Brubaker Box is mechanically a Volkswagen. But it has a layout and fiberglass body that looks nothing like any of the kit cars on the market then and now. Only… more»
Jun 5, 2023 • For Sale • 8 Comments
Kit Car Pickup: 1971 Kellison Sandpiper
In the 1970s, there was a flurry of activity in the kit car business, many of which were intended to be VW-based dune buggies. Along with Bruce Meyers, Jim Kellison was one of the more prolific of the players,… more»
Jun 3, 2023 • For Sale • 23 Comments
Pair of 1940s Soap Box Derby Cars
Who remembers soap box derby racing? I recall seeing it on 1960s TV shows, but that was about it. It started with a group of kids in the 1930s who cobbled together some miniature race cars out of wood… more»
May 21, 2023 • For Sale • 19 Comments
1 of 2: 1951 Fromm-Mobile (Go Kart)
Engineer Carl Fromm had the notion of going into the go-kart manufacturing business in 1951 and we’re told he built two prototypes of the Fromm-Mobile. Apparently, the project never got off the ground and go-kart #1 has stayed in… more»
May 20, 2023 • For Sale • 5 Comments
4-Seat Dune Buggy! 1967 Volkswagen Berry Mini-T
Built by Berry Plasti-Glass Works in the late 1960s, the Mini-T was a kit car modeled after the Ford Model T. Based on a ‘67 VW Beetle platform, this edition is especially interesting and rare as it’s a 4-seater… more»
May 9, 2023 • Auctions • 21 Comments
BF Auction: 1972 Bradley GT Coupe
Bradley Automotive commenced operation in Plymouth, Minnesota, in 1970. Its goal was to enter the growing kit car market, offering buyers everything from entry-level kits to turnkey cars. The GT was its most successful model, mainly due to its… more»
