1958 Devin Special

This car, Lot 530, sold for $88,000, including buyer’s premium, at Auctions America’s Fort Lauderdale, FL, sale on March 15, 2014.

Bill Devin was an imaginative, entrepreneurial fellow and well-respected driver. He piloted many cars — from a winning home-modified 1949 Crosley Hot Shot to Ferraris and, naturally, his own Devin-built track cars. He was described as “The Enzo Ferrari of Okie Flats (Oklahoma)” in an article published in the July 1961 issue of Car and Driver magazine. Devin’s penchant for wielding a welding torch at an early age honed his skills for fabrication — and fueled his desire to tinker with all things automotive.

Beginning in the mid-1950s, Devin developed a fascination — perhaps an obsession — with using fiberglass to mold sports car bodies. Fiberglass technology was in its infancy, but Devin knew that it was just the ticket to design his own cars. Devin felt he could build cars as well as any other manufacturer at the time — especially anything coming out of Europe.

Devin’s first design and build was the Devin-Panhard in 1955. By a series of odd business circumstances, Devin made a deal with a Hollywood, CA, French Panhard dealer for 10 Panhard chassis for $10,000. He then got busy building an economical, lightweight body that would easily fit the Panhard chassis — and could compete in SCCA competitions. The result was a world-class track car that took the National SCCA Championship in 1956.

From there, the race was on for Bill Devin to pursue his dream to build all-out race cars on affordable fiberglass bodies. Devin also created kits, so other guys could enjoy the sport without breaking the bank.

From cheap to costly

Devin Enterprises went on to design, build and advertise 27 different kits. Dealers eager to sell Devin’s bodies and kits popped up all across the country. These affordable and well-engineered bodies started at only $295. The most expensive fully assembled factory-built car — the Devin SS — carried a starting price of $6,000 and was built from 1958 to 1961.

By 1961, the track-ready Devin SS had ratcheted up to an eye-watering $10,000, which was far more than the market would bear and led to the end of production. These are the most sought-after Devin cars. There were just 15 factory-built examples, so they are as rare as any low-production vintage road racer on the planet.

The Devin Special

Our subject car is one of the 27 body styles Devin Enterprises produced. Devin offered kits in many configurations. One of those kits was designated as the Devin Special, which took its styling cues from the European looks of the Devin SS. Kits could be purchased to include the body shell only right on up to a complete “car in a crate,” which came with the components to build the car, including the custom-built Devin chassis.

This 1958 Devin is reported to be one of the more complete kits offered by the company. The Devin intake manifold and vintage custom chassis are probably original to the car. The Hurst shifter is also a very rare piece — even if it wasn’t built in the Devin factory.

The car was built to closely mirror the Devin SS, as it has the correct 283-ci Chevrolet Corvette engine hooked up to a Muncie 4-speed. The original Devin SS models would have been mated to a Borg-Warner gearbox, but the differences have little to no impact on the value.

A period drag racer with “It”

The history of the car tracks back to California, and the car may have spent its entire life there. The car was reportedly a drag racer in its early life, and it has some unique modifications, including the bulletproof Ford nine-inch rear end and torsion-bar rear suspension. The current engine is a date-coded 1962 Corvette 283 with the aforementioned Devin intake manifold. Other modifications include rack-and-pinion steering. There is also a vintage Southern California Timing Association sticker still on the car, which was wisely preserved during the restoration.

One special aspect of this car is the subtle vibe the car displayed at the sale. Certain cars have an “it” factor that is hard to explain. There are many vintage drag, track and street cars, but only those with the right mix of provenance, authentic vintage styling and parts will attract the most attention. This is why fake cars are usually caught short — as they simply don’t speak to buyers in the right way.

This car unassumingly rang the bell. It had the right build, genuine vintage parts and it wasn’t over-restored. It was just right. The seller wasn’t trying to make the car anything more than what it was. This is how a Devin was built for a guy who wanted to go racing in the late 1950s and early 1960s, so everything rang true.

Overpriced kit car or race history?

Our subject car was also reported to only have a few owners from new. The original builder of the car is unknown, but he certainly got the car headed in the right direction. As reported by the consignor, the car was located in a barn in the 1980s and was ultimately restored as a period road racer, which was the original intent of the Devin cars. The restoration took place in the late 2000s, and the car remains in excellent condition.

Valuing a car like this is about as simple as trying to hold a dozen ping-pong balls under water with one hand. Comps are nearly impossible to locate, as every car will be unique. Even if one could locate two nearly identical Devins, condition would play another role in the equation and lead one back to square one. That said, it all boils down to the spirit of the car, the type of collector and the quality of the presentation.

For the 15 Devin SS factory-built models, only one comp shows up in the SCM Platinum Auction Database, selling in 2006 and 2010 for $247,500 and $182,381 respectively. A 1957 Devin Monza also appears, selling for $50,880. Naturally, these will not offer a reasonable comparison but they will help us establish an upper tier of valuation. Given that our subject car was built to be a close relative to the Devin SS, we can find a reasonable valuation hypothesis based on the sum of the vintage parts and historical appeal.

I was at this sale, and this car ignited the part of my brain that instinctively jumps when I see a great car. Granted, it’s not for everyone — some might see it as an overpriced kit car with no pedigree. I prefer to see it as part of our rebellious automotive culture. This car captures a time when a couple of guys in a barn or home garage could build a car that could actually complete with larger race teams — before all the mega-sponsors, television deals and computer-aided design made for a lot more speed and a little less soul.

Bill Devin had a passion for racing, and he knew that other guys did, too. With that, he designed and built 27 bodies that a fellow could use to build a race car on a limited budget. While not all Devins will be desirable, this one certainly was. There was a pureness and simplicity to this car that others may not encapsulate.

Auctions America suggested a value range of $50,000 to $75,000, which was very accurate — although broader in its scope than most estimates. Although the sale surpassed the high estimate, I consider this car to be both well bought and sold. Even if you disagree with the analysis, one thing I think we can all agree on is that the new owner purchased one hell of a unique — and rare — car. ♦

(Introductory description courtesy of Auctions America.)

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