1959 Bocar XP-6 Sports Roadster

This Bocar was ordered new as an XP-5 model by USAF Lt. Wendell Burgess, a friend of Bocar founder Bob Carnes. Burgess and Carnes modified the chassis by adding twelve inches to its length and raised the sides of the bodywork. Before the car was completed, Burgess sold it to Ivan Frank in 1960, who finished the project. The fiberglass body was given a Ford color called Rangoon Red with white stripes. A Ford 289 cubic-inch V8 engine was installed in the engine bay making this the only Bocar so equipped. The engine featured an Offenhauser intake manifold, XP-6-branded valve covers, and was paired with a Borg-Warner T-10 four-speed manual transmission.

It is believed that this Bocar participated in several SCCA events before it was placed into storage in 1972. In 2015, the Bocar was removed from storage and acquired by a new owner, who treated it to a mechanical refurbishment carried out by Farland Classic Restorations of Greely, Colorado. The Hi-Po 289 cubic-inch Ford V8 was rebuilt, the chassis was selectively reinforced, and aluminum panels were fabricated for the cockpit, trunk and engine compartment.

This Bocar has a wrapped three-spoke steering wheel, fixed-back bucket seats trimmed in black upholstery, Stewart-Warner instrumentation, a 160-mph speedometer, and the body-colored fiberglass dashboard bears 'XP-6' and Ford Cobra Jet badges.

This Bocar XP-6 participated in the 2017 Colorado Grand. In 2022, it was purchased by its current caretaker.

By Daniel Vaughan | Nov 2024