Photography by David Gooley
Feature: What Might Have Been
October 1, 2006
In the early 1950s, when three forward gears were the norm, nothing was more exotic than a 5-speed transmission. Bosley decided his car had to have one. Rather than spend the money for one of the few European 5-speeds, which in any case likely would have wilted under the Hemi’s prodigious torque output, Bosley found the one American vehicle that sported one and adapted it for use in his car. The fact that it came from a Dodge truck didn’t bother him at all.
; function voidFunc() { } voidFunc();)
What separates the Bosley from the ranks of "homebuilts" (which, by the way,
is what it was considered by the state of Ohio) is, in a word, details. Some
people would have been satisfied with the occasional ragged edge here and there.
Not Richard Bosley. Off-the-shelf parts—a ’50 Ford rear window that serves as a
windshield, the ’39 Chevy rear lamps, and Stewart-Warner gauges among them—either look right as they are
or were subtly modified to suit. Bosley cast the rear bumperettes in aluminum,
and designed them to attach to and cover the rear body mounting bolts. Other
small parts, such as side and rear windows formed over velvet-clad plaster
molds, and the matching speedometer and tachometer, which were based on Ford
police-package speedometers, took countless hours to refine. (Click image to enlarge)
; function voidFunc() { } voidFunc();)
Its Chrysler Hemi V-8 recalls the Cunningham
equation of American power and European looks. (Click image to enlarge)With attention to even the smallest details, the magnificent panel fit and finish, and the way in which all parts appear to have been created for this car, the huge 55-gallon fuel tank (on which the spare Halibrand magnesium wheel rests) and its giant fast-open filler on the roof weren’t placed there just for show. During the next few years, Bosley put more than 100,000 miles on his creation. It was, and still is, the equal of the sports cars of its day in terms of ride, handling, and comfort, and was faster than almost all of its contemporaries. The sole offensive component was the gearbox, which howled like the proverbial banshee. But then, Ferraris of the same vintage were far from silent.
Good as it was, the first Bosley didn’t represent the full
extent of its builder’s creative energy. In 1957, he traded it to GM dealer Dick
Doane, a well-known racer with close ties to Detroit. The deal included a
Corvette chassis, specially modified to compete in the 1956 Sebring race. This
time, Bosley’s intent was to build a true grand touring car instead of a wild
and woolly sports coupe.
; function voidFunc() { } voidFunc();)
The Bosley Mark I at speed. (Click image to enlarge)The Interstate, as Bosley dubbed the result, once again showed Italianate design touches, with more than a small hint of Pininfarina’s Ferrari Superfast. Once again, he built a fiberglass body, this time from female molds. A lighter and stronger (345 hp) Pontiac V-8 delivered the motive power.
Unlike the first car, the Interstate had respectable luggage space, and an interior trimmed for maximum comfort. Bosley designed a proper ventilation system, too. His imagination was much in evidence; among the Interstate’s safety-oriented features was a light bar over the rear window that lit up to warn following drivers of impending braking or turning.
Anxious to speed completion, Bosley farmed out more of the
manufacturing process this time. The German firm Reutter built the plated grille
surround and seats, Sibona-Bassano in Italy did the window glass, Nardi provided
a steering wheel, and the headlamps and air horns came from Marchal in France.
Bosley was nonplussed to learn from Reutter that it could have built the
complete car for him for less money than he had invested in the as-yet
incomplete project.
; function voidFunc() { } voidFunc();)
Richard Bosley and the svelte Bosley Interstate
; its lines recall the Ferrari Superfast while power comes from a
Pontiac V-8. (Click image to enlarge)Both cars survive today. The Mark I is in perfect trim after a restoration by one of its former owners, while the Interstate, minus the special Corvette chassis—which was removed to build a replica of the original Sebring racer—awaits an owner with the time and dedication to bring it back to life.
Bosley has not lost his passion for car building, but has since concentrated
on scale models of his subsequent designs. Each of them shows that he hasn’t
lost his flair for the unusual. The latest, called Habu, is a close-coupled
coupe with sweeping lines and crisp edges. It presents a bold front, with
chrome-capped fenders that recall some of the extravagant classic designs by
French coachbuilders of the 1930s, and is reminiscent of his masterpiece, the
Mark I.
; function voidFunc() { } voidFunc();)
A more recent design for the Habu
marries classic prewar cues into a modern whole. (Click image to enlarge)
advertisement
; function voidFunc() { } voidFunc();){kind=link}