Now the tale of the fiberglass body continues…

Come 1946, Bill Tritt, a Californian boat builder, was asked to manufacture a sailboat of fiberglass material. The deal was to have a high-performance construction that measured 20 feet. Tritt, however, so succeeded in his endeavor that he even came up with four sailboats!

Three years later, Tritt’s pal, Ken Brooks, a hotrod aficionado, requested Tritt for a fiberglass body he would use for his modified car. Alas, success for the second time! This came to be the 1951 Brooks Browser. It earned positive feedback during the Los Angeles Motorama show, as well as from a lot of reputable magazines.

Tritt was too thrilled with the outcome that he decided to extend his boat biz to car bodies. It was rather a good move as third and fourth successes soon followed. The first Glasspar G2 sports roadster and a G2-based roadster for the Naugatuck Chemical Co., dubbed as the Alembic I.

And what do you know; luck could also come in fives! General Motors, THE auto manufacturer, saw the Alembic I, put it under scrutiny, and probably loved it—that they had a fiberglass body in the 1953 Chevrolet Corvette.

A high five for Bill Tritt!

1953

The first production car with a fiberglass body (and a steel spaceframe frame) was showcased this year. The 1953 Chevrolet Corvette.

Did you know that the fiberglass was originally used for boat-building? Ye, because of its light weight and heavy-duty strength.

Fiberglass or glass-reinforced plastic came into the market prior to World War II, under the Owens-Corning Co. of Corning, New York. However, its function was maximized during the war when it was further developed for radar domes and similar protective constructions. So it became more resistant to various impact and temperature levels. Plus, it also had a greater paint luster quality.