1958 Victress C3

The Victress Manufacturing company was founded by William 'Doc' Boyce-Smith and joined by Merrill Powell in the early 1950s. The company built several different kit car bodies from 1952 through 1961. The S1 body was designed by Hugh Hugh Jorgensen and perfected through wind tunnel testing. One example, equipped with Chrysler power, was driven to 203.105 MPH in August 1953 at Bonneville, resulting in the Company's marketing phrase 'Victress - World's Fastest Sports Car.'

Merrill Powell graduated from Baylor University in 1951 with a degree in psychology before serving for two years in the Air Force Medical Service Corp. before returning home to Los Angeles late in 1953. He applied and was accepted by the Art Center School of Design with the intention of becoming a car designer. In November of 1953, Powell met Doc at the Petersen Motorama. Impressed, he began assisting Doc and Hugh Jorgen with developing the Victress S4 sports car. Eventually, Merrill purchased 49 percent of Victress for $5,000, with Doc serving as president and Merrill as the vice-president. This venture resulted in the company's name being changed to the Victress Manufacturing Company, and it was officially incorporated in Los Angeles, California, on February 15, 1954.

The Victress S4 of 1954, designed by Hugh Jorgensen, was designed to accommodate wheelbase sizes of 112 to 116 inches. The Victress S5 of 1955 was designed to accommodate a 94-inch wheelbase.

The C2 Sports Coupe was designed by Powell and intended for a 94-inch wheelbase, followed by a larger (99-inch) C3 Coupe in 1955. These are believed to be the first American-made fiberglass specials produced in coupe form. Before the company and its molds were sold to LaDawri Coachcraft of British Columbia in 1961, it is believed that fewer than forty examples of the Victress coupe were built.

by Daniel Vaughan | Mar 2023