What do you get when you cross styling a-la Lotus 7 with running gear from an early '60's Volvo PV544 with the aluminum drop tank from a North American F-100 Super Sabre fighter-bomber? Well, I'm sure it's a question that crosses every gear-head's mind every day...or at least it crossed the mind of Al Hoyt, who built the car you see here with help from his son, Mike, in 1961. They raced this car in SCCA F-modified autocross at Elkhart Lake/Road America. They also raced at the occasional USAF base, where the car must have felt right at home given its aeronautical roots.I love the silver aluminum body with a front air dam modeled after the airplane that the metal came from. The original, 1.6L 4-cylinder Volvo motor breathing through dual carbs feeds power through a 4-speed gearbox to a limited-slip diff. The entire package looks like an absolute blast to drive. There's quite a grass-roots movement today built around the 'Locost' concept, and this car had to be one of the first! Completely restored--down to the original Volvo linear speedo and steel wheels--the car is 100% street legal.
The car would be perfect for anyone wanting to do some vintage racing or anyone looking for more excitement on those weekend bread runs! The car is listed for sale here on AutoTrader Classics, although why it's listed under 'Austin Healey' is beyond me.
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Nice nice find! It's cool to see that the Locost phenom isn't a new thing. Those guys did a beautiful job on the bodywork.
ReplyDeleteThat being said, I think the price is a little steep given the amateur construction and a lack of any real racing success. Still very, very cool, though.
William
Just to let you know, this car is featured in this month's Hemmings Sports and Exotic Cars (which is an excellent magazine).
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