Devin Cars
Devin Enterprises was an American automobile manufacturer that was established in 1955-1964 El Monte ( California). Founder was Bill Devin. Devin was primarily known for his elegant fiberglass bodies, but also offered complete cars.
Bill Devin was born in 1915 in Rocky, Oklahoma in the United States. The renowned American motorsports journalist Henry N. Manney once described him as the " Enzo Ferrari of the Okie Flats". Bill Devin's father had a car repair shop and later a Chevrolet representative and the curious Bill dealt with cars, long before his father took him into his father's business. Bill Devin began to build early in his life cars. He was also a very well known and successful racing driver.
1954 Bill Devin decided that he could build good cars at least as favorable as any other, especially as the Europeans. He built a chicken coop into a workshop and began to construct the legendary Devin Panhards. He has worked with polyester bodies, which was in the early 50's still very innovative and a development of NASA. Devin learned the art with polyester bodies produce very fast. He placed this new material specifically a weight loss of his racing cars.
Another milestone was the further developed by him Panhard engine, which was equipped with a belt driven by a single overhead camshaft. Devin forgot to let that idea patented because all the paper work was an abomination.
The next chapter in the life of Bill Devin is probably the best known. The attractive and individually available in several variations Devin bodies based on the design of the Ferrari 750 Monza, or of the Erminis. With these bodies a variety of chassis could be fitted, from small Crosley, about the Triumph TR2 / 3 up to a Cadillac engine powered Allard. Devin was the largest and most successful producer of these bodies quickly. With its dealer network, he delivered these bodies to Europe, North, Central and South America and even to South Africa.
Devin's competitors in the U.S. at that time were companies like Byers, Almquist, alkene, La Dawri, MicroBond, Fiberfab, Fiber Sport, Atlas, Kellison, Alied, Conquest, and Victress Microplas, most of them are long forgotten. The name Devin but stopped and he stood for top quality at reasonable cost. Devin bodies were always very smooth and the finishing was better than competing products.
Bill Devin built on the basis of the success of the bodies and complete cars with its own tube frame. The Devin C based on the Chevrolet Corvair and Devin D (the D stands for German ) based on the Porsche 356 or VW Beetle. The Devin SS Devin realized his dream to build fast, powerful, complete vehicles. The Devin SS was a famous and successful on many race tracks car, of financial success did not materialize.
Models
Devin SS
1955 presented the first model of the SS ( Super Sport). Its chassis with 2337 mm wheelbase came from Ireland. Then a two-seat roadster body was mounted. The above- controlled V8 engine of the Chevrolet Corvette with 4638 cc 220 bhp developed (162 kW) and caused an acceleration of 0-100 km / h in 4.8 seconds and a top speed of 225 km / h The engine power was routed through manual four- speed transmission from Borg - Warner to the rear wheels. Due to the high selling price of U.S. $ 5950, - were sold until 1958 only 15 copies.
Devin Panhard
Devin Panhard Dyna Z modified one with his two-cylinder boxer engine with 851 cc displacement, by putting on modified cylinder heads from the Norton Manx. The two overhead camshafts were driven by toothed belt. The competition car won the 1956 Championship of the Sports Car Club of America ( SCCA ).
Devin D
1959 Devin tried with the much smaller model D. The wheelbase of the Volkswagen chassis was 2083 mm and rear air-cooled four- cylinder boxer engines of Volkswagen and Porsche were installed. The VW engine had 1191 cc and made 36 bhp ( 26.5 kW) at 3700 min -1, the Porsche engine was waiting with 1586 cc and gave 70 bhp (51 kW) at 4500 min - 1 from. The selling price of the version with VW engine was U.S. $ 2950, -. The production figures to the model setting should be 46.
Devin C
1961 Devin knew the chassis and body of the model D with the six-cylinder boxer engine from the Chevrolet Corvair. This engine was also air-cooled and drew from 2376 cc, an output of 80 bhp (59 kW) at 4400 min -1. The result was called Model C. It was built until 1964; the production numbers are unknown in this case.
Other models
- Devin F (based on the Triumph TR3
- Devin GT
- Devin -MG
- Roosevelt Devin
- Bandini with Devin body