1966 Bosley Mark II Interstate Coupe

A horticulturist by trade, Richard Bosley was a sports car enthusiast deeply involved in the burgeoning motorsports world during the 1950s and 1960s. In the mid-1950s, Richard Bosley of Mentor, Ohio, created the Bosley MK1. He had a passion for automobiles though - up to this point in history - had never built a car. In the early 1950s, he decided to build the car of his dreams. Powering the car was a Chrysler Hemi breathing through 6 carburetors. It had a quick change rear end courtesy of a 1948 Mercury, a 102-inch wheelbase, and an overall length of 168 inches. Braking power was provided by Lincoln 12-inch drums riding on magnesium center-lock wheels. The transmission was a five-speed unit built by the New Process Company. The bodywork was done by Mr. Bosley, with many of the interior and exterior parts sourced from various other vehicles.

The low-slung fiberglass body, potent engine, and 55-gallon fuel tank made it suitable for long-distance racing. It had a top speed in the neighborhood of 160 mph.

Richard Bosley traded his first car, the Mark I, for the #6 Sebring Racer Corvette of Dick Done of Raceway Enterprises. The 1956 Corvette served as the basis for the Interstate. Bosley, a horticulturist and nursery owner by trade, spent the next nine years 'coach building' the Interstate. Assisted by his wife Carol, there were over 5,500 hours of labor involved in the hundreds of handcrafted parts as well as items outsourced to Reutter of Germany (seats and grill) and Sibano-Bisano of Italy (side and vent windows). The Interstate made its debut in the 1967 Sports Cars in Review at the Henry Ford Museum, highlighting many of its revolutionary features (high mount stop lamp, retractable driving light, heads-up dash display and seats with side bolsters and passenger headrest). Even though it has the appearance of a 'Dream Car' it was built for driving on the new highway system hence the name 'Interstate.'

The monocoque fiberglass body was built on his Corvette chassis, and the car was fitted with a 345 horsepower, Tri-power Pontiac V-8 engine, and a Corvette manual transmission. The car was featured in several magazines.

Bosley kept the car until the late 1980s. The second owner allowed the car to fall into disrepair. It was rescued in 2000 and acquired by the current owners in 2015. A full forensic concours restoration ensued and was completed in the summer of 2017.