As a general rule of thumb, kit cars don’t tend to generate a lot of excitement in the classic car world. One of the main reasons for this is that they are more often than not pale imitations of the car that they aspire to be. While the Alken D2 is a kit car dating from the 1950s, it is different enough to warrant a look. Once you’ve had a bit of a read and a think, you might decide that it is the sort of car that you would like in your garage. Well, this is possible, as the car is currently for sale with a listed price of $84,000. The Alken is located in Greentown, Pennsylvania, and is listed for sale here at Hemmings.

As with so many kit cars, it should be no surprise to learn that the underpinnings of this car are from the inevitable VW Bug. The body is a different matter, and it is constructed from a fairly heavy grade of fiberglass. The body also was built with numerous strengthening bulkheads, which resulted in a robust but still relatively light body. One of the attractions of a kit car has usually been low initial costs. This is one area where the Alken was different because when the body was manufactured back in 1958, it was sold for the then considerable sum of $1,500. Therefore, in its day, this was not a cheap car. The owner has provided a large number of clear photos of all aspects of the vehicle, and it is certainly clean and solid. The car is finished in Porsche Azure Blue, and as we will see as we go along, this is not the only feature that hails from that manufacturer. What appears to be chrome external trim is actually aluminum. The car does not feature either a soft-top or side windows, but it does come with a tonneau cover. One feature that I do like is that it is fitted with suicide doors. That’s something that I’ve always thought was cool.

This particular Alken has had an interesting life. It was originally built as a standard Alken D2 and was used as a promotional vehicle for the company. It was then sold to Nic-L-Silver, a battery company, who converted it to electric operation as that company saw the opportunity to sell both electric cars, and to demonstrate the quality of their own batteries. It was then put into storage, and it remained there for 25-years. It was finally brought out of storage, and restoration was commenced. However, this is no Bug with a shiny shell. Remember me mentioning that the paint color was not the only link to Porsche with this car? Well, under the hood is a 1600N engine from a Porsche 356. The transmission, brakes, ignition, and wheel rims were also sourced from the same vehicle. That should be enough to break the hearts of many a Porsche purist, so I can only hope that the 356 in question had suffered some form of damage that meant that it was beyond repair. The owner makes no references to how well the car runs or drives, but if the appearance of the engine is any indication, then it all should be pretty nice.

One area where a kit car can fail rather spectacularly is in the area of interior trim fit and finish. You certainly can’t say that about this Alken. Looking at the floor, the pedals, and the shifter, there is no mistaking the fact that you are effectively dealing with a Bug, but the carpet, trim, and the dash all look spectacularly good, and a long way above the traditional look of your average kit car. There’s really nothing to fault there, while the seats look like they would be comfortable and supportive when the driving became spirited.

The Alken D2 has been the source of some speculation amongst fans of kit cars. There has never been any definitive number given as to how many bodies were eventually produced, but estimates range between 25 and 50. Just how many are left is basically anyone’s guess. I know that this is a kit car, and there are people who will treat it with contempt because of that single fact. However, take a long, close look at the fit and finish of this particular vehicle. What you are seeing there is a quality of manufacturing and finish that is on par with what the majority of volume manufacturers were producing at the time and stands head and shoulders above almost any other kit car. Combine that with a Porsche drive-train, and this little Alken is something a bit different, and a bit special.