Back in the Nineteen Fifties, a handful of enterprising Americans tried to develop sports activities vehicles with an rising know-how known as fiberglass. Many had been bought as kits, whereas a number of builders tried to promote theirs as full vehicles. The styling of these vehicles may be hit-or-miss, however we expect the styling of our Pick of the Day, this 1959 Bocar XP-7R, will get it proper. It’s on the market on ClassicCars.com by its Connecticut-based proprietor.
Accurate info is murky at finest however, from what we will inform, Bocar was developed by Bob Carnes in the Denver suburb of Lakewood in 1958. The aeronautical engineer had dabbled in sports activities automobile racing, even creating the Jagillac (a Jaguar with a Cadillac engine) earlier than he developed his personal American tackle sports activities vehicles. His first, the Bocar X-1 (BOb CARnes experimental-1), was inbuilt his storage and featured a polyester physique with glass reinforcement surrounding a moly-tube body. Marginal enhancements over a number of iterations led to Bob’s first manufacturing car, the XP-5, constructed on a 90-inch wheelbase and using a Chevrolet small-block, although a number of had been constructed on Triumph frames.
An XP-5 was raced at Daytona in 1960 and positioned second in its class, plus it set a seashore pace report. Motor Trend achieved 0-60 in six seconds — not unhealthy for a craft automobile marketed as being succesful for “racing, hillclimber and grocery getter.” The XP-6 moved as much as a 104-inch wheelbase and featured a supercharger hooked to the small-block. Sports Cars Illustrated remarked that it was “astoundingly agile” and “hurls itself forward with an effortless violence at any speed and in any gear.” Bob ultimately responded with the XP-7 and XP-7R, the latter with the supercharged Chevy.
This 1959 Bocar XP-7R, automobile quantity 003, at the moment contains a 650-horsepower 350 small-block that includes Rochester gas injection in addition to a GMC 4-71 supercharger. Shifting is dealt with by an M22 close-ratio “Rock Crusher” four-speed. Other efficiency and mechanical upgrades embody “Baja Beetle” entrance suspension and coil-over springs and shock absorbers. On all 4 corners you’ll discover disc brakes and offset Borrani wheels for that genuine classic presence.
Of course, these into classic racing will drool over this 1959 Bocar XP-7R, however robust styling (particularly from the rear-quarter view ) will appeal to anybody into the romance of Nineteen Fifties sports activities vehicles. Certainly $280,000 is just not low-cost, however solely a handful had been constructed earlier than Bob’s Bocar operation burned down in December 1961.
To view this itemizing on ClassicCars.com, see Pick of the Day.
