The fascinating story of one of the prettiest Porsche-based specials
When Australian Porsche enthusiast David Twiss fell in love with a rare Devin D he’d seen advertised on the internet, nothing was going to stand in his way – he knew that one day, the sleak glassfibre-bodied sports car would be his. But when?
Over the decades the ubiquitous Volkswagen Beetle has been a donor car for a multitude of low volume coachbuilts, a diverse array of kit cars and homebuilt specials. It is generally not appreciated, however, that Porsche donor components found their way into a small number of specialist manufacturers and homebuilt racers, although only in very rare instances was this factory sanctioned.
Names such as Pooper, Glöckler and Elva may be familiar to some but there were other coachbuilt models such as the Beutler all based on 356 running gear. Some versions of specialist race cars such as the Dolphin, Bobsy and Platypus utilised Porsche drivetrain components to great effect, often humbling the factoriy’s own formidable racers!
But there was another enterprising manufacturer, Devin Enterprises, which was founded by the enigmatic maverick Bill Devin, located in El Monte, California in the late 1950s. Once described as the ‘Enzo Ferrari of Okie Flats’ in a 1961 article in Car and Driver, Devin typified the post-war American spirit, his use of a toothed belt to drive the valve train in the Devin-panhard engine was the first time this technology was used in such an application. Today tens of millions of internal combustion engines rely on toothed cam belts for valve actuation, but unfortunately Devin didn’t apply for a patent on this innovation.
In the late Fifties and early Sixties Devin Enterprises was the largest producer of glassfibre cars and bodies in the world. Using a mould which drew inspiration from the Scaglietti-designed Ermini 375 Sport 1100, Devin manufactured bodies in 27 sizes to suit most popular road cars of the time, as well as for race cars. Devin bodies were distinguished by their reasonable price, available accessories and quality of the glassfibre moulding, which was superior to that of their competitors.
Amongst his other achievements was the fearsome Devin SS sports car, which pre-dated the Shelby Cobra and featured a fuel-injected Corvette V8 and De Dion rear suspension with inboard discs. By Carroll Shelby’s own admission the Devin SS was a superior car to his Cobra, but unfortunately only 15 examples were produced before it became apparent the project was not financially viable. Today the Devin SS is keenly sought after by collectors and vintage racers alike, commanding big bucks.
In an effort to broaden their market, in the late Fifties Devin Enterprises produced the Devin D (‘D’ stood for Deutschland). The Devin D was built on a Devin-designed
ladder chassis with a wheelbase of 2083 mm (82 inches) and was offered either in kit form or factory-assembled. In its day a complete Devin D kit, less the stock VW or Porsche components, sold for $1495. A complete factory-assembled car with standard VW 1192cc engine retailed for $2950, and with a Porsche 1600cc engine for $3350. Porsche drum brakes were a $400 option (and were definitely required with Porsche power!).
Bill Devin sourced his Porsche engines from his local Porsche dealership, buying industrial motors and converting them for automotive use. Unfortunately his supply of Porsche motors abruptly ceased after the factory threatened to cancel the dealership’s franchise if they continued dealing with Devin. Apparently some enterprising Socal racers modified their Porsche-powered Devin D’s to Super 90-plus specs and in doing so started to nip at the heels of the factory’s lauded quad-cam offerings.
Determining the exact number of Devin Ds manufactured between 1958 and 1964 is problematic. Some publications have indicated optimistically as many as 160 were produced in both kit form or assembled by the factory, while it is generally believed that of these fewer than fifty were factory assembled. These figures, however, are impossible to verify as Bill Devin was poor at keeping records.
What can be said is that very few Devin Ds survive today. These cars are now being sought after by collectors and historic racers, being eligible for several vintage race categories. These cars hark back to what many consider to be the golden era of American sports cars and specials.
The example shown here, chassis number DD9-17, is a rare factory-built Devin D which was originally delivered to the King Motor Company in California in 1962. After spending its life in the United States, DD9-17 was acquired by David Twiss in 2008 and subsequently imported to Melbourne, Australia, that same year.
‘I’ve been a lifelong VW and Porsche enthusiast,’ says David. ‘My first car at seventeen was a 1964 1200 VW Beetle, which was subsequently modified with an NPR 83 mm “Big Bore” kit, 200cfm Holley Bug Spray carburettor and wide rims. This car was followed by a succession of other air-cooled Volkswagens including various Beetles, Type 3s and Kombis, some standard but many modified.’
Over the years, David’s enthusiam for the marque blossomed further: ‘Some of the more rare and obscure Vwbased vehicles I have owned in the past included a 1968 VW Country Buggy and an Aussie-delivered RHD 1952 Tempo Matador. More recently I owned a 1971 Dearborn Corp Deserter GS GT Series 2 with a 2332cc turbo motor.’ And then the Porsche bug started to bite…
‘Over time I inevitably moved on to Porsches, with a particular emphasis on the 356, and over the years I’ve owned a 1962 356B Super 90, a 1960 356 T5 Roadster and a 1964 356SC coupé,’ says David. ‘My current project is the restoration of a rare barn-find Aussie-delivered full matching
numbers 1959 T2 356A coupé. The plan is to store the original drive train and for motive power install a 1883cc twinplug motor. To complete a period Carrera-type make over, 60mm front drums, KW shocks and a set of Technomagnesio wheels will be installed, all of which can be easily be converted back to original should this be desired.’
But what of the Devin? ‘Back in December 2006, a Devin D caught my attention on the Samba.com website. I wasn’t actively looking for another car or project but enjoyed browsing the various VW and Porsche websites when I had some spare time, like many enthusiasts. I knew nothing of the manufacturer but was attracted to the fact that it didn’t rely on a VW floorpan, having its own bespoke tubular chassis, looked period cool and there was a Porsche connection as this particular car was powered by a 1957 Porsche 356A motor. Importantly it was one of a handful of factory-assembled cars with its own dedicated VIN number.
‘The Devin was located in the USA in the state of Massachusetts, a long way away from Melbourne, Australia!
Undeterred I contacted the owner and entered a dialogue with the view to a potential purchase. Discussions continued for a couple of weeks and were brought to an abrupt halt when my accountant gave me a reality check that I needed to put more money into my fledging business.
‘Over the next couple of years I would occasionally browse the Samba website to see whether any other Devin Ds were posted for sale, but to no avail. But with a change in my circumstances towards the end of 2007, I decided to be more proactive and placed a wanted ad on Samba stating that I was looking for a Devin D.
‘In January 2008, I had a response from a dealer in California specialising in classic Porsches and Historic Race Cars who just happened to have two Devin Ds; one was a stripped down race car and the other, to my surprise, appeared to be the Massachusetts car!’
David sent a quick e-mail to the dealer and an exchange of information confirmed this to be the case. Now California is still a long way from Melbourne, however, the fact that it was the same car gave him some comfort. He’d retained
“IT WAS ONE OF A HANDFUL OF FACTORY-BUILT CARS…”
the communications with the former Massachusetts owner and could use information to verify the vehicle’s provenance and condition.
Thrilled to have finally tracked down ‘his’ Devin, David set things in motion. ‘After receiving references from a number of Californian members of the Porsche Club of America who had dealt with this dealer, I decided to buy the Devin sight unseen. Unfortunately, however, over the intervening period the Devin was now almost $10,000 more expensive than when I first identified it!’ Undeterred, David transferred the funds and the Devin was soon on its way to Melbourne once the necessary import documentation had been completed.
‘Almost six weeks later the Devin arrived in Melbourne,’ recalls David, ‘and to my relief and delight it was as I expected. Another month later the car was on the road after a tune-up and some safety modifications.’ Other priorities meant that on arrival in Australia the car was then left largely untouched until 2017 when it was the subject of an extensive restoration.
When acquired DD9-17 was powered by a 1582cc 1958 Porsche 356A motor and, although a spirited performer compared to those powered by lesser VW flat-fours, the earlier Porsche motor was not as robust and suitable for tuning as later units. The motor was replaced by a Porsche 616/36 (912) motor which has been rebuilt and upgraded by legendary Porsche engine builder, the late Duane Spencer.
The engine features Shasta Design 86mm forged pistons and now displaces 1720cc. Induction is handled by dual Italian 40IDF Webers, while a sports camshaft of unknown grind and lightened flywheel have also been installed. Exhaust gases exit via 4-into-1-into-2 merged stainless-steel headers. The car has also been converted to 12 volt. The 912-based motor is very tractable with an estimated 120-plus horsepower and is a strong performer in a vehicle which, according to factory specs, weighs in at just 1180lb (535kg).
DD9-17, like all Devin Ds, is equipped with a VW swing-axle gearbox, but the original nonsynchro VW transmission has been replace by a later rebuilt fullsynchro unit. All Devin Ds feature Volkswagen front suspension with transverse torsion bars and trailing links, while single coilover-shock absorbers and trailing arms of Devin’s own design were used at the rear. The suspension on this car has been refurbished along with the Porsche 356B drum brakes, which provide more than ample stopping power in such a lightweight machine. The car is shod with Michelin tyres on 4.5Jx15 alloy rims at the front and 5.5Jx15 alloys at the rear.
While the glassfibre body was in good condition for its age, DD9-17 was subject to a complete body restoration, which involved removing several layers of paint, the most recent being a very Eighties pearlescent white. The entire body was then rubbed back, with any imperfections and damage accrued over the decades repaired. Prior to being
“THE DEVIN WAS SOON ON ITS WAY TO MELBOURNE…”
painted a Porsche Boxster silver, the body was treated to a polyurethane coating which provides additional protection and a billet-like finish.
The car’s interior has been subject to a full refurbishment, too. Seats have been rebuilt and reupholstered in red leatherette-style material, with new red German squareweave matching carpets. DD 9-17 features a genuine rare Porsche 356B Carrera 160mph speedometer, but all other instruments are reproduction Porsche 356 gauges from respected North Hollywood Speedometer. Billet switchgear is inlayed in a genuine NOS dash panel, while a new 360mm Nardi Volante steering wheel finishes the period interior.
Worthy of note is the fact that DD 9-17 still has its first service sticker, removed and preserved from the inside of the driver’s door and dated September 1962. The owner also has a scanned page from Bill Devin’s log book showing DD9-17 delivered to the King Motor Company. This was provided to the owner by the person who acquired the assets from the late Bill Devin’s estate.
Incidentally, the original windscreen has been replaced by a speedster aero style polycarbonate unit from the Aircraft Windshield Company of Los Alamitos, California; this gives the Devin D a more aesthetically pleasing lower profile and accentuates the Fifties/sixties race car look. Racing harnesses and a roll bar provide added safety. The original windscreen frame, rare removable soft top roof, support bows and side windows have all been retained should the owner wish to convert the car back to factory spec at a later date.
David smiles when he looks back at the process of purchasing his dream car: ‘A couple of months after buying it, my son, who was eight years old at the time and enthralled by Google Earth, suggested we Google the location in California where I had purchased the Devin from. To our surprise it turned out to be a field somewhere in rural Southern California, with no sign of habitation nearby. Would I have proceeded with the purchase had I known this? Maybe, maybe not! But as they say, all’s well that ends well!’