Rare Component Cars, Milwaukee, WI (2025)

My name is John Mellberg, I have been a lifelong Car fanatic, artist, writer, musician, and amateur Kit Car Historian. I was among the first to use the internet to promote handcrafted cars, having started in 1997. My website and postings were branded “Rare Component Cars” and the sites were available until roughly 2005. Now, more than 20 years on from when it began I have revived the project here on Facebook, as well as on the internet at https://rarecomponentcars.blogspot.com/.

05/24/2024

A Caribbean Queen

One of the most revered and storied makers of kit and specialty cars in America, Fiberfab, was founded by Warren "Bud" Goodwin in 1964. One of their most iconic products was the Jamaican series of kit cars. It boasted styling that would have rivaled anything from the Italian design houses of its era. Classic proportions, with a long dash-to-axle ratio, swept back windshield, and gently curving roof and hood lines. The car had been named for Bud Goodwin's ill-fated second wife, Jamaica. It was a stunning statement and garnered a good deal of attention from the car enthusiast press.

The car was designed by the Beebe brothers, Chris and Russell, in 1967 after they had designed the earlier Banshee...

For the rest of the story go here -
https://rarecomponentcars.blogspot.com/2024/05/a-caribbean-queen.html

04/12/2024

The latest article on Rare Component Cars blog features Chris Humberstone's Rapport Forté, a Jaguar based GT car that came in retractable hardtop coupe and shooting break versions. It was a strikingly modern design for the period, with a very Italianate wedge-shaped profile and strongly creased curves giving it a sheer, elegant appearance. The car made its debut at the British Grand Prix for a demonstration run, with Mark Thatcher at the wheel. There it received a very positive reception and many potential customers expressed interest. Fourteen pre-paid orders followed in a matter of weeks and Rapport seemed set for success in the venture...

Get the full story here -
https://rarecomponentcars.blogspot.com/2024/04/humberstones-forte.html

03/19/2024

Just published on Rare Component Cars, an article on the UVA M6GTR, a British development of the classic Manta Montage kit from the USA.

Here's an excerpt:
"Manta Cars ceased production in 1986, having sold about 1,000 factory-built and component cars. This development prompted UVA to produce their own version of the Montage. Using the aforementioned Montage T, the UK company would shoehorn Rover's small-block V8 into the tail of the beast. Mounted amidships, this configuration would prove more in keeping with the car's McLaren M6GT replica pretensions..."

Learn more here -
https://rarecomponentcars.blogspot.com/2024/03/the-uva-m6gtr-what-goes-around-comes.html

03/07/2024

The latest article on the Rare Component Cars blog examines an obscure, low-volume sportscar designed in France that was intended to be built and sold in India, the De La Chapelle Roadster.

Making its debut at the 1996 Mondial de L’Automobile (Paris Auto Salon), the De La Chapelle Roadster caused quite a stir. Shown alongside its maker's highly reputed Bugatti replicas, the Atalante and the Type 55 Roadster, it was a brand-new modern design: a mid-engine two-seater convertible. It was a radical departure from the company's prior products which, in addition to the Bugatti replicas, included a bizarre V12 powered "super minivan" called the "Parcours". It was hoped to have a wider appeal in the market.

To get the whole story, go here -
https://rarecomponentcars.blogspot.com/2024/03/from-lyon-to-mumbai.html

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Milwaukee, WI
53202

Website

https://rarecomponentcars.blogspot.com/

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