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, blurry ads for kit cars. Fiberglass made it possible for anyone to design a car in his garage, and many did. Leslie Dawes was one of those guys. At age 23, he had already created and shown a fiberglass car in his home country of Canada – the LaDawri Cavalier. Later renamed the Conquest, it was featured on the cover of the July 1957 issue of Road & Track. After a move to Long Beach, California with his wife and toddler, Dawes began manufacturing cars in the late 1950s. His motto was “Build a Conquest, become a Conquestidor!” He sold both kits and completed cars, which he called “customs”. Here on craigslist is a LaDawri Conquest project car, with an asking price of $12,500. This car has a 1954 Ford V8 in the engine bay, typical equipment for the times. Basking in a sunny yard in Los Angeles, California for its photo shoot (with another LaDawri in the background for company), this car will need to be towed away. Thanks to T.J. for a fantastic plastic tip!
The Ford V8 motor will need attention but it does run. The seller indicates this is a 1954 Y-block, displacing 239ci with about 139 hp. The transmission is a floor-shift manual, and the car sits on a modified Ford chassis. LaDawris could be placed on any number of chassis, from VW to Austin-Healey, MG to Ford. Motor choices were similarly broad. Here’s one on a Henry J chassis with an Olds Rocket motor.
The dash is modified from a ’54 Ford. The cars were made with a windshield frame; the glass was from a GMC truck, inverted to fit. The hard top is interesting – it was offered as an option in the “Conquest” catalog, but I couldn’t find any LaDawri Conquests with any kind of top at all. The seating arrangement is reminiscent of an early Corvette, with the body snug around the seat-backs.
Unburdened by bumpers or really any trim at all, this Conquest is ready for an imaginative owner to get it back on the road. Fit and finish will soak up a large portion of the time/money budget, and that’s without considering whether the mechanics of the car ever worked properly. Note that the title is missing, too. In some states, “no title” can be a real pain. But if you’re ready to surmount those challenges, the next question is what to pay. Comparables are rare as hen’s teeth, but this one received a high bid of $25k a few years ago. The same car did finally sell here, and presumably for something closer to the $74,900 asking price. That’s a spread as wide as the horizon. Any guesses as to the value here?
My hat is off to anyone who can finish a project like this one. I know I couldn’t. I doubt I have the 20 years necessary left on earth.
I’m unclear what that top came from. It obviously doesn’t fit, and I doubt it can be made to fit.
I’d give up on that ’54 Ford stuff and shrink an early Corvette chassis to fit. The seller might get $5,000 for this mess as-is, but I’d be surprised if it went for much more.
Wouldn’t buy a car without a title imo especially if you’re gonna put big bux and time into it.
Legal title is easy in California, easier in Arizona and can be assigned in most states. FYI.
Well if legal title is easy in California, it’s got to be the only thing that is.
In Illinois it’s a nightmare.
You got to give credit to a 20 something that literally became a car manufacturer. Kudos Leslie Dawes wherever you are. I do believe LaDarwi offered a ’60s conversion of a Ford Mustang to a square back Gremlinesque Wagon. Somebody help me on this. I swear I saw an ad for this in Motor Trend, offered by Ladawri Coachcraft.
Anybody?
Doesn’t this one have some sort of top on it in the rear view 4th photo ? Though it does not look like it fits the contours of the body
In my opinion the design is way, like, lightyears, ahead of same year Corvette. GM designers should have sneaked this guy in the back door! Reminds me of Cobra more than Vette.
That is NOT a hardtop for the Conquest or Daytona . and it is obvious that it does not fit. The fake “vinyl” finish says its about 15- 20 years newer, too
.
.Here is a picture of mine with the factory hardtop.
That’s got to be one of the more imaginative windshields I have ever seen.
Imaginative nothing – it’s just a pickup truck piece of glass turned sideways! And that’s a good thing when it comes time to replace it!
Dave, that’s a looker. Tell me, is the engine out, and the back end loaded with spare bits?
I’ve had two old La Dawri’s and I was always impressed by the amount of PLYWOOD in those cars – both of mine had plywood laminated in fiberglass for floor boards, firewalls trunk wall etc. It was up to the original builder to do what he wanted with the skills and materials available – I think these cars are true American automotive folk art!