1959 Bocar XP-5 Sportscar

Bob Carnes began his racing career with a Glockler-Porsche Spyder in road races and hill climbs in the Denver area. In the early 1950s, he switched to a Jaguar XK 120. He later fitted a Cadillac V-8 into the Jaguar and called it the 'Jagillac.'

Bob Carnes of Denver, Colorado, began building the Bocar in 1957, and no two examples were alike, with each built to the owner's needs. Most were fitted with Chevrolet engines.

Production of the Bocar continued through 1961 with six iterations. Production ceased after a fire engulfed the Bocar shop after around 40 examples had been built, including an estimated 15 XP-5s.

The XP-5 was introduced in early 1959 and, like the previous Bocars, was given a unique space frame design constructed of high-strength chromoly steel. They had Buick drum brakes and a suspension system sourced from a Porsche 356/VW Beetle. The engine remained a Chevrolet 283 or 327 cubic-inch V8 that was mounted far behind the front axle. They were clothed with a lightweight fiberglass body helping achieve a total weight of around 2,100 pounds.

This particular example is an XP-5 constructed using a modified Triumph chassis from the Bocar factory. It has Triumph front disc brakes and Chevrolet 11-inch rear drum brakes. It has a 1958 Chevrolet 3:70 Positraction rear axle with four trailing arms and a Watts link along with a race-prepared Chevrolet 327 V-8 and T-10 close-ratio four-speed manual transmission. Fifteen-by-six knock-off wheels and a 12-gallon A.T.L fuel cell complete the package.

The current caretaker has owned the car for 14 years, and it is currently registered for street use.

By Daniel Vaughan | May 2017