1954 Victress S1A Roadster

Founded in 1951, Victress was a Southern California body maker in the early days of fiberglass. They produced unfinished body shells and offered a simple frame manufactured by Mameco Corp. in Los Angeles. Hinged doors, hoods, or deck lids cost $5 each. None had bulkheads or floors. Most were purchased by amateurs who wanted to build their own sports car or racer. Although its swoopy streamlining was advanced for the day, Victress only produced bodies a few years and today, a Victress is a rare find.

The current owner's father of this vehicle built a Victress in 1958 and road-raced it in California. Always wanting one, Steve scoured the country for two years and finally found a long-abandoned project in El Paso, Texas. An almost new body shell was hanging in a shed and a Mameco frame was laying across the yard.

Led by famed CanAm builder Bob McKee, the project underwent a four-year restoration at McKee Engineering where it was fitted with a vintage Dodge Hemi engine. Restored for high-speed touring, the car just completed 1,000 miles through the mountains on the Colorado Grand.