Heart of glass

Mecum, Dallas 7-9 September

This Glasspar G2 bears testament to the creative vibe intrinsic to the Californian hot rodding scene of the 1950s and ’60s. It was created by Bill Tritt, a boatbuilder who spearheaded the use of glassfibre as a medium for fabricating hulls.

His enthusiasm for the material led to him creating a glassfibre body for a friend’s Willys Jeep-based hot rod called the Brooks Boxer in 1951. Afterwards, Tritt adapted the Boxer mould to create his own car, the Glasspar G2.

Named the Alembic 1, it caused something of a sensation and became the subject of articles in the

New York Times, the Wall Street Journal and Life magazine. The car even attracted celebrity buyers such as Humphrey Bogart and Gary Cooper, although only around 10 G2s are thought to have been built.

Glasspar subsequently went public, but Tritt left after his plan to build another car called the Ascot was vetoed by the directors, who wanted the firm to focus on its marine business. The G2 was, however, America’s (perhaps the world’s) first production car with a glassfibre body and is said to have inspired the somewhat more successful Corvette.

Tritt also designed the attractive Volvo Sport and the Willys-based Woodill Wildfire – which makes one wonder whether or not the aborted Glasspar Ascot could have become equally well known. mecum.com