1962 Kellison J5

American sports car racing specials grew in popularity during the fifties and sixties thanks to the ingenuity of hot rodders, fiberglass kit car builders, and weekend warriors. In 1954, a former U.S. Air Force pilot named James Kellison joined the growing list of 'kit car' builders, which included Byers, Devin, and Glasspar, with his eponymous Kellison Engineering based in Folsom, California. His company initially produced attractive coupe and roadster body styles before venturing into an array of racing, sports, and show cars. In the mid-1960s, Kellison created the Sandpiper SP-1 for the growing 'due buggy' craze. According to Kellison's sales literature, the company went on to become the 'largest manufacturer of dune buggy bodies in the world.'

The popularity of sports cars were attributed to personalization, affordability, and configuration. On numerous occasions, racers demonstrated the potency of lightweight construction, a streamlined shape, and finely tuned mechanical components with cars like the Scarab and Devin SS. Lighter, lower, and powerful, these homegrown specials often kept pace (or outpaced) the machinery produced by the Italians and English. While many manufacturers from 'across the pond' used sheets of aluminum hand-hammered into svelte bodies, the repertoire of many builders in the 'new country' turned to fiberglass. Sprayed up or hand-laid in sheets, fiberglass proved to be a superior product. The molds could be created quickly, modified, or copied from existing cars. It was easy to make multiple copies in a variety of sizes, and material and setup costs were low. Even Chevrolet was using fiberglass for its Corvette sports car.

Kellison Engineering & Mfg. Company was one of the earliest and most successful users of fiberglass for sports car body manufacturing. They produced strong, lightweight, streamlined bodies that were low, sleek, and attractive. The shapes benefitted from Kellison's aerospace engineering background, as they were over-engineered and bestowed with details such as a low frontal area, sealing strips, wheel wells, firewalls and dashboards molded in. The Kellison coupes incorporated stock glass and sealing strips from Studebakers and Buicks, and they were designed to accommodate a variety of chassis. Kellison even offered its own four-inch diameter twin-tube chassis. As such, the Kellison cars were powered by a variety of engine and drivetrain combinations.

The Kellison J5 was an evolution of the previous J4, with an extra inch added to the 39-inch roof and an extended wheelbase from 98 to 102 inches, accommodating additional length in the doors. A J5 R version was available as a lightweight racing option.

by Dan Vaughan

Coupe
Chassis number: 20867S114231

Jim Kellison created Kellison Engineering & Manufacturing Company in 1954. The operation was based in California and specialized in kit car creation. Kellison served as a fighter pilot during World War II, and his closeness to aerodynamic designs undoubtedly influenced his streamlined and attractive race car bodies. The company sold its product in a variety of guises and completion.

The Coupe created by Kellison is one of the more extreme designs ever to be put into production. It was based on the Corvette and powered by a more modern 302 cubic-inch Chevy engine with four-barrel carburetion and a four-speed manual transmission. Similarly to the Cunningham team cars, the car was finished in white with a blue stripe. In comparison to the Corvette, it was lighter and more powerful. The engine and gearbox were moved back from the stock location, providing better balance and handling. The running gear comprises GM components, including the 15-inch ET alloy wheels similar to the ones used on a 1962 Corvette. The interior appears to be from a stock 1962 Corvette with a 160 mph speedometer. The interior is finished in black Naugahyde with blue piping similar to the body stripe.

This example has been restored since new. It was brought to the 2007 Monterey Sports & Classic Car Auction presented by RM Auctions, with an estimated value of $45,000 - $55,000. It was offered without reserve, which worked in the buyer's favor, as the lot was sold for a mere $33,000, including the buyer's premium.

by Dan Vaughan

Coupe

Kellison Engineering & Manufacturing Company was a California company founded in 1954 that specialized in fiberglass body cars.

The cars were powered with many engine and drivetrain combinations. This example is powered by a 327 cubic-inch Chevy engine with a four-barrel carburetor and a four-speed manual transmission. The engine and gearbox were moved back approximately 18 inches from the stock Corvette location, providing better balance and handling with 49/51 weight distribution. The running gear comprises General motors components, including the 15-inch alloy wheels.

The current owner acquired this car from a Pawn Shop in Beverly Hills, California, on Rodeo Drive nearly 20 years ago. It recently finished a year-long restoration to bring it back to its former glory. The dry weight of the vehicle without fuel or driver is 1,840 pounds.

This was the only J5 Drop Nose Coupe produced. It was built as a concept car to transition from the J5 to the J6 model. The nose of the car is lower than the typical J5 models, and the air intake for the radiator is not as small as the J6 models. The windshield slope was also changed to meet the new Federal DOT sightline requirements, which added some much-needed headroom in the vehicle as compared to the earlier J5 model.