1953 Devin Bodied Jowett Jupiter
Even if you don’t know anything about the early cars from Devin Enterprises, like the example found, you certainly know the famous family of similar styles born in the 1950’s. The Ferrari 500 Mondial, with its signature aggressively sloped grill. The Bristol AC and its American spawn, the Shelby Cobra MKII. The Siata 208S, and the legendary Aston Martin DB2 Spider.
All these cousins featured a prolonged hood sitting between bulbous front fenders. Most had utilitarian cockpits that laughed in the face of safety and comfort. In the rear were shortened trunks on higher, muscular haunches. The Devin available here fits that description well, with one picture from the seller harkening back to it’s earlier days – and still wearing it’s bare fiberglass patina.
Underneath the Devin exterior is a 1953 Jowett Jupiter – a handsome car in its own right, with a racing pedigree that includes a class record breaking win in its rookie year at the 1950 LeMans. I personally like the Devin a bit more than the donor original body, and a quick look at recent prices confirms that a number 1, beautiful example of a Jowett still comes in less than a similar Devin survivor.
More than anything, I think the lineage of Devin offerings are uniquely American. Made to rival the Ferrari’s of the day – at a fraction of the cost and twice the fun. Sure, we all want to arrive at a show in a 375, or have the valet park the 250 right up front. I’ll take myself out of that clan, however, and dream of pulling up in a 1957 Devin D. It’s a bit smaller, obviously inspired by the 550, and is a classic ode to our U.S. tradition of making the unattainable
