Glasspar 1951-1953 - GRP body pioneer
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Summary
There have been around 10,000 car brands and designers - most of which have disappeared. One of these vanished brands is Glasspar. Its 1939 prototype was probably the first car with a GRP body.
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The first large-format objects made of glass fiber reinforced plastic (GRP) were thanks to boat builders. William Tritt from Santa Ana in California had developed his Glasspar Company into the leading manufacturer of polyester boats and GRP boat hulls. The initiative to build a GRP car body was brought to him from outside. The prototype, built in 1951 on a 1939 Ford V8 chassis, was a highly acclaimed, elegant, open-top sports two-seater and probably the first car with a GRP body, although further prototypes were built in the USA. Glasspar initially only supplied bodies, while Shorty Post constructed a suitable chassis frame from square tubes. Fans were able to add GM or other US engines and drive components to kits purchased in this way. One of the first customers was the Willys dealer B. R. Woodill, who in 1952 created his own brand Wildfire, derived from the Glasspar G2, and equipped it with Willys engines.
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