The Glass Image

If you compare a really good fiberglass ’32 body against a steel Brookville unit, the differences are negligible. Even so, I have no interest at all in fiberglass. And while the steel units are no more “vintage,” I’ve grown to appreciate them so much more than their glass counterparts. Why the hell is that?

Beats me. I’ve long since given up on trying to rationalize it. I just don’t have an interest in fiberglass.

One of the few exceptions to that rule (aside from racing applications of course), is Buzz Pitzen’s ’23 roadster. In the late 1950’s, Buzz was determined to build himself a t-roadster. He searched long and hard for a good body, but never could source one appropriate to his needs. Eventually, he gave up and started building his own aluminum body from scratch. It didn’t go well and Buzz got frustrated. And then, he stumbled across an ad in Hot Rod Magazine advertising fiberglass t-bucket bodies for $149. Buzz was sold and a body was ordered.

When the kit showed up, it was rough around the edges but good enough for Buzz to work with. He placed it over a model-a Ford chassis and quickly got to work fabricating the rest of the car. By 1960, Buzz was done and the car was busy making its rounds on feature lists. Car Craft picked it up in December of 1960, while Hot Rod Magazine chose it for the cover of the June, 1962 issue (titled, “The Glass Image”) as well as the 1962 yearbook.

Where it went from there is anyone’s guess… But what really makes this car a landmark of sorts is the fact that it was probably the first fiberglass t-roadster ever built. It’s certainly the first that I could find and definitely the first to grace a major cover. And when you look at how prevalent fiberglass cars would become, it makes Buzz’s car a pretty important one. It started here.

Editor’s Note: While researching Buzz’s car, I came across an article on Kustomrama that fills in a lot of gaps in my story. You can read it here. Do yourself a favor and take a gander – it’s a really well written piece.