- An unrestored and unusual homegrown American sports car
- Modified in-period with styling cues and drivetrains from the Buick line
- Equipped with a Buick Nailhead 322-cubic-inch V-8 engine
- One of just a handful of examples purchased by Harry Clark Buick Agency of Compton, California
LOT 363
Selling on Saturday
From The Passport Collection
1954 Woodill Wildfire Roadster
OFFERED WITHOUT RESERVE
Blanchard Robert "Woody" Woodill was always a car nut and eagerly went into partnership with his father at the family Dodge Agency after World War II in Downey, California. In 1948, he bought out his dad's share, and with buildings available, he soon added a Willys franchise. With success in the car business, sports car fever soon afflicted Woody. He wanted a Jaguar, but his service manager talked him out of it as an undependable and costly to fix choice. Undaunted, he decided to build his own, and to do it largely with Willys parts, as an assembly plant was nearby. So was Glasspar, a pioneer in fiberglass technology, who also was busy building bodies for the Kaiser Darrin. Also close at hand was the Post Body Shop, which built a frame out of "angle stuff," as Woody put it. Thus, Woody ended up with a car with a custom-built frame, Willys engine, and a Jeepster front axle and bumpers, and called it the Series I. He later modified the original Glasspar body with a higher hood, rear deck, and doors, as well as a dummy hood scoop and neatly integrated Aero-Willys taillights and created the Woodill Wildfire Series II.
The Woodill Wildfire was first seen at the November 1952 Motorama in Los Angeles - not the General Motors Show, but one put on by Petersen Publishing Company of Motor Trend fame. Interest ran high, so Woody set about getting his sports car into production, both fully assembled and as a high-quality kit car. With the idea that any power plant or transmission could be used, the Woodill had great potential. Unfortunately, the arrival of the Corvette greatly affected sales, and as few as 300 kits were sold in a three-year period.
This 1954 Woodill Wildfire is a unique example with a fascinating history. It is believed this is one of only a handful of Wildfires purchased as kits by Harry Clark Buick Agency of Compton, California, and modified with styling cues and drivetrains from the Buick line. At the front, the body was altered to incorporate 1953 Buick headlights and a shortened, modified 1953 Chevrolet grille. At the rear, molds of a 1953 Buick's rear fenders were taken and transferred to fiberglass to give it a consistent look with the rest of the Buick line. To finish off the build, a continental kit spare wheel and a racy curved windshield were equipped. Under the hood, Clark and his crew did away with the standard Wildfire's inline-six-cylinder engine in favor of Buick's powerful new overhead valve 322-cubic-inch Nailhead V-8. The engine paired to a Dynaflow transmission with the shift lever relocated to the floor for a sportier feel. Complete with dual exhaust with period fan-style tips, the Buick V-8 produces a satisfying, snappy soundtrack.
This car is one of just a few known Wildfires left in existence with its original Buick modifications, and it presents in incredibly well-preserved condition. The white paint is believed to be almost entirely original with its sporting and beautiful pinstripe job. The body is in good overall condition, with a few cracks noted in the fiberglass, primarily in the door jambs. The car retains the original Buick taillights, Chevrolet grille, and Ford bumpers, while a late-model Ford trunk lock appears to be the only deviation from how it left the dealership.
The interior features red and white vinyl trim, red nylon loop carpet, and a red-painted dash, all of which present in original condition. The seats and matching door panels are in superb order thanks to the use of hard-wearing upholstery material. A 1953 Buick steering wheel is suitably flashy, and the period-correct Stewart-Warner instruments look right at home in the dash.
An unrestored and unusual homegrown American sports car, this rare 1954 Woodill Wildfire Roadster is a reminder of the optimism and true American entrepreneurial spirit that was alive and well during the post-war years.
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