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  Photography by David Gooley

Feature: What Might Have Been

Ray Thursby

October 1, 2006

Low, sleek, and stunning, the bright red coupe with the egg-crate grille might appear at first to be the work of an established coachbuilder adorning, most likely, a Ferrari chassis. Dramatic and somewhat brutish, it is at the same time delicate, projecting a look of graceful motion even when at rest. Few would argue if it were passed off as the work of Vignale’s stylists, or perhaps the artisans of Carrozzeria Touring. Few designers outside the exclusive design houses of Italy could have managed the purity of form and exquisite detailing displayed here.

A look inside the tight cockpit would only reinforce the initial impression of Italian origin. From the wood-rim steering wheel to the large, round dials ahead of the driver to the row of five smaller gauges spread across the dashboard, the latter flanked by an array of small toggle switches, it is clear that this is the product of one of the masters of sports car design and construction. 

But almost as soon as those unfamiliar with this coupe’s story have determined what it must be, the impression is shattered, either by the starting of its engine, which emits the basso rumble of a very large American V-8 and not the snarl of a high-winding V-12, or by rapping knuckles on the coachwork, which is fiberglass and not aluminum. (Click image to enlarge)

Those sensations lead to a close look at the discreet cloisonné badges, which proclaim this to be the work of Carrozzeria Bosley. Though it ends in a sometime vowel, Bosley clearly is not an Italian name. In fact, the Bosley Mark I and its successor, the Bosley Interstate, were created in Mentor, Ohio, where Richard Bosley worked in his family’s nursery business. Neither car was commissioned by or built for Bosley; he did the hard work himself, from initial design right through connecting the battery and coaxing his creations to life.

Bosley’s passion for high-performance cars formed at an early age. He was present as a volunteer worker at the first race held at the Sebring, Fla., airport circuit in 1950; he returned in March 1952 to watch Sebring’s first 12-hour race, which eventually would become America’s premier sports car race. He owned a couple of the hottest cars of the day: first, an Oldsmobile 88, and later, after seeing a picture of actor Clark Gable standing next to a low-slung British import, a Jaguar XK120.

But Bosley wanted more. He saw the first few Ferraris to appear at Sebring, the powerful Chrysler-powered coupes and roadsters built by American sportsman Briggs Cunningham, a sprinkling of Maseratis and other exotica. Like many other Americans who were then getting their first taste of small, lightweight, stylish machines built for speed, Bosley wanted something racy. He soon discovered that the price of admission to the ranks of Ferrari owners was considerably higher than he could pay. At that point, most people would be content with what they have. Bosley admits that his 120 was a superb car, though not totally satisfying. (Click image to enlarge)

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Top and bottom photos: The Bosley Mark I blends many design details into a seductive styling exercise every bit as beautiful as the best period offerings from Touring, Vignale, and Zagato. (Click images to enlarge)

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Instead, Bosley decided to build his own sports car, beginning what would become a three-year project. Though he would use some production-line parts, the majority of the work—fabricating body and chassis, assembly, and finish work—would be his responsibility. When he is asked what led him to think he could tackle so complex a job, Bosley says, "I built models, so I was sure I could build a complete car."

That remark might sound fatuous if uttered by anyone else, but Bosley backed up his enthusiasm by rolling up his sleeves and getting to work. In those days, fiberglass was something of an unknown quantity in the automotive field, so he journeyed to nearby Ashtabula, where a company that would later produce bodies for early Chevrolet Corvettes was making simpler objects out of woven glass fibers and resin. Following the advice he was given there, he carved a male mold from plaster—it was also his styling model—and handbuilt the body over it. By modern standards the shell is extremely thick—varying from one-eighth inch to more than 1½ inches in areas he felt needed to be extra strong—and required considerable hand-finishing to achieve the desired smooth surface.

The body is carried on a sturdy tubular frame. To save time in attaching and providing proper geometry for the front suspension, he welded in a Ford sedan’s front cross member. Other proprietary parts, such as the rear axle and brakes, came from Mercury and Lincoln, respectively. For power, he chose the new Chrysler Hemi V-8 engine, a 900-plus-pound heavyweight that produced close to 300 hp reliably, when fitted with a six-carburetor intake manifold from Briggs Cunningham (service would be available in almost any town Bosley might drive through).