1962 Devin D

Bill Devin was an SCCA National Champion from California and the creator of Devin Enterprises who built a number of kit cars during the 1950s and 1960s. Devin's fiberglass sports car quickly earned him an enviable reputation on racetracks across America.

The Devin D, introduced in 1958, could be purchased either as a kit to be assembled by the customer or as a completed car for racing or street use. It used a tubular, ladder-type frame and could be assembled mainly with Volkswagen parts and could be fitted with either a Porsche or VW engine. The front suspension of transverse torsion bars and trailing links was from Volkswagen, while single coil-over dampers and trailing arms were used at the rear.

When purchased as a kit, it arrived in a crate with a number of components, including a soft top, side curtains, upholstered bucket seats, a laminated safety glass windshield, brake and fuel lines, and more. These items could be bolted together and did not require major bodywork welding, drilling, or other significant modifications. The finished product, which had a base price of a mere $1,495, weighed just under 1,200 pounds. A pre-assembled Devin from the factory powered with a 1,600 cubic centimeter engine cost in the neighborhood of $3,350. A complete factory-assembled Devin with the standard VW 1192cc engine retailed for $2,950.

Devin Enterprises of El Monte, California, USA, offered glassfibre kit-car bodies and complete vehicles from 1955 to 1964, and it is estimated that 46 examples of the Devin D were built. The Devin Super Sport used a Chevrolet small-block V8 for its power source, while the Devin C used the 6-cylinder boxer engine from the Corvair. The Devin GT was a hardtop coupe and built in relatively limited numbers.

by Daniel Vaughan | Jan 2022