Fiberfab Valkyrie

The Valkyrie was a GT sports car introduced 1967 by a U.S. company called Fiberfab. The Valkyrie's styling was inspired by the lines of the famous Ford GT40 race car, which Ford campaigned at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The Ford GT was usually equipped with a mid-mounted V8 engine.

Fiberfab's car was also designed with a mid-engined V8. The original sales brochure and advertisements offered a 427 cubic inch Chevrolet engine, a ZF transaxle, and 4 wheel Hearst-Amheart disk brakes. The car also came equipped with a parachute which the ad said was "for primary braking at speeds in excess of 140 M.P.H." Most later Valkyries were owner built, using small block Chevy V8s coupled to Corvair transaxles.

The Valkyrie was not a luxury car, but a sports car marketed on performance and styling The car was offered at $10,000 in early ads, but there were also lower priced kit versions. There was also a less expensive variant made by Fiberfab called the Fiberfab Avenger GT.

The company changed hands and in the 70s, the Valkyrie was discontinued. Some of the models Fiberfab produced were continued under the Classic Motor Carriages brand name, when CMC acquired Fiberfab in 1983. Some original Valkyries are still on the road, and kit versions are in various stages of construction.

Although the original company which produced these cars closed, in 2003 a new company began producing these cars again under the Fiberfab US name.

Fiberfab History

This is the history of Fiberfab according to internal company documents

1951-1957 - Warren G. Goodwin manufactured replacement body panels, sun visors, cab enclosures, etc.
1957-1963 - Designed and build several models of kit cars, thereby founding the kit car industry.
1964 - Fiberfab Inc. formed and founded in California.
1964-1969 - Developed and marketed four different models to fit TR3, MGA, Austin Healey, VW, and a frame to utilize V8 components. Peak sales volume approaching $2,000,000.
1969 - September, Founder passed away.
1969-1971 - Fiberfab tied up in estate and almost went under.
1971-1974 - Former Plant Manager, and Easter Distributor combine forces and salvage key molds. Started to Turn the company around. 1974 - November, A.T.R. Inc., A Pennsylvania Corporation acquired ownership of Fiberfab.

3 new models are introduced to bring the product line to 9 and 30 different power plant options. Presently developing other chassis applications as well as working with several organizations to develop batter powered electric drive vehicles. Also reworking older models to simplify assemblies.

Combined sales volume of parent and subsidiary Fiberfab, 1976-1977 expected to be $12,000,000 to $15,000,000

1983 - Fiberfab Inc sells assets to their largest competitor, Classic Motor Carriage. Shortly after CMC stores almost all molds behind their Miami manufacturing facility never to be used again.

Other Fiberfab Kits

Liberty SLR Promo

References

    External links

    This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 8/19/2015. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.