The American Sports Car Company- TASCO

After WWII, a number of American solders came home with a new-found appreciation for the tiny sports cars from MG, Jaguar and Singer they saw buzzing around the UK and Europe. A group of investors in the US wanted to capitalize on this growing trend and fund the creation of an American-built sports car for the first racing event to be held at Watkins Glen, New York. Automotive designer Gordon Buehrig (Auburn Speedster, Cord 810) was part of this group, and offered to do the design work on the project. The body was all aluminum, manufactured by the Derham Body Company, and it was the first vehicle to feature a plexi-glass T top roof, which Buehrig patented (and then sued GM over when the 1968 Corvette came out). The heavily modified 1947 Mercury chassis still retained the flathead motor. Some of the cool ‘Bonneville bits’ featured are the turnable fiberglass wheel covers and the machined aluminum dash with aircraft controls. Overall though, lets be honest here, this is one ugly, ungraceful car that doesn’t exactly scream “Sports” car… The prototype failed to spur interest and the project was scrapped, leaving just the one vehicle you see here.