The Bocar | The Jalopy Journal The Jalopy Journal

In advance of the GT40, just before the Daytona Coupe, prior to the Cobra, ahead of an American sporting activities car actually experienced considerably accomplishment at all… Bob Carnes sat in his workshop in Lakewood, CO and wondered what it would take to beat the likes of Maserati, Ferrari, and Porsche. He tried using with the Corvette and like quite a few just before him, unsuccessful.

“To hell with it,” he thought. “I’m just gonna construct my personal automobile.”

Bob built his initially prototype in 1958 and termed it the Bocar X-1. This prototype then advanced into the X-2, X-3, and X-4 utilizing a 90-inch wheelbase, Jaguar underpinnings, and Girling drum brakes. By 1959, Bob imagined he might have a profitable mix of pieces and began do the job on his initially output car or truck – the Bocar XP-5. The Xp-5 carried many of the underpinnings of the prototypes, but moved to a Volkswagen entrance suspension and a 283-inch Chevrolet for ability.

Bocar prototypes sitting in Bob’s shop.

The car was comparatively effective in short bursts. In point, an Xp-5 driven by Art Huttinger positioned 2nd in the to start with ever televised jogging at Daytona and broke a report for the swiftest time at any time recorded on the seashore – 175mph.

Next that success, Bob dropped the Xp-6. This variation featured a longer wheelbase (104-inch) and a blown (off the crank) small block Chevrolet fed with a Corvette fuel injection system. Only one was built as Bob’s awareness soon went to the Bocar Stiletto – a streamlined racecar with the exact same motor setup for the Pikes Peak Hillclimb.

The Bocar Stiletto.

The Hillclimb was likely perfectly for the slippery roadster right until the 4-speed took a shit and they experienced to get in touch with it a working day. Just a couple months later, Bob’s shop burned down in a mysterious fire and Bocar was dissolved as a business.

No just one has actually been in a position to pin down just how quite a few Bocars were being sold, finished, and raced. It is considered that there are close to 20 illustrations still left now – two of them becoming Stilettos. So if you have viewed just one oneself, it’s likely been an Xp-5 from the authentic manufacturing run. I’ve found two with my own eyes and both of those ended up modified into more of a “street rod” than race car… lovely, but also form of disappointing to the senses in a way.

The thing is, Bocars had been essentially rather damned quick. The Xp-5 weighed about 1,650 lbs and built around a single horsepower for each 6 of people. The damned detail went zero-to-sixty in beneath 6-seconds in 1960 and Motor Development claimed it stopped just as immediately as it accelerated. “The only factor keeping this charming racer from outpacing Ferrari is the pilots that command them.”

I have finished extensive hunting and have not been ready to locate significantly worldwide or even national results with the Bocar shorter of it’s 1960 Daytona end. It appears as nevertheless the motor vehicle shared the same fate as most of the other independent initiatives ahead of and due to the fact – unrealized probable.

Editor’s Notice: I outlined in the element that many of these have been “Street Rodded” to a position. You can see an illustration of a person these types of automobile in movement in this article. Also, there’s really a Bocar on the current market correct now. It needs some time period element work for sure, but it’s not a bad position to start off.