1958 Devin SS

American Bill Devin was an influential figure in the West Coast sports car movement, and the founder of Devin Cars, a company that produced racing cars and bodies throughout the 1950s and 1960s. The Devin SS was the top-of-the-line model, designed for competition in the SCCA C-Modified big-bore class. The SS wore a one-piece, hand-laid fiberglass body with fixed cockpit sides and integrated seats. The aerodynamic design featured rounded bodywork in the back and fenders that protruded slightly in the front. The mold was from an aluminum-bodied Scaglietti-designed single-seater Ferrari that was modified as a two-seater sports car. The cars were built on an imported 92-inch chassis, powered by a small-block Chevrolet engine with disc brakes at all four corners. 12-inch discs were in the front, with 11-inch inboard-mounted units in the back. The entire package weighed under 2,000 pounds, and zero-to-sixty mph was accomplished in 5.7 seconds (other sources state 4.8 seconds).

The stock Corvette 283 V8 engine was modified with a low-profile manifold to clear the very low hood. In stock form, the engine offered around 220 horsepower with 300 lbs-ft of torque. With no fan, a radiator was added to provide cooling. Again, clearance issues were a problem, so it was tilted backward at a 40-degree angle. The engine was backed by a Borg-Warner T-10 four-speed manual gearbox with a 3.70:1 gear ratio. Weigh distribution was rather impressive, with around 53% resting over the rear wheels.

The chassis was built in Ireland by Malcolm MacGregor and Noel Hills before they were shipped across the Atlantic and to El Monte, California. They were built using lightweight 3-inch diameter, 14-gauge mild steel tubing for the main structure and 2-inch tubing for the substructure at both ends, with the suspension comprised of double-wishbones in the front (later forged aluminum setup) and a de Dion tube axle in the back with parallel trailing links. Girling disc brakes provided the stopping power and steering via a BMC (British Motor Corporation) racing-and-pinion setup with 2.5 turns lock-to-lock.

SCCA requirements required 100 examples to homologate the car for racing. This was Bill Devin's goal, however, the initial figure of 100 cars was never met. Roughly 15 to 20 examples of the Irish-chassis-built cars were created. Around ten chassis were later built in California, still far short of the 100-car target. Estimates vary, from as low as 15 to as high as 30 completed examples were built. Along with the complete packages, hundreds were also built as kits.

Most of the Devin SS cars were built for the track, but a few were used as road-going vehicles. Other cars that bore the Devin name included the Volkswagen/Porsche powered 'D' and a Corvair-engined Model 'C.'

by Daniel Vaughan | Feb 2020