This is an original 1960 Devin D, a mid-century American sports car that made use of air-cooled German drivetrains, typically from either Volkswagen or Porsche, and the example you see here is powered by a Porsche 356 flat-four.
Devin Ds raced extensively in period (with quite a bit of success) against Porsche 356s and other cars in their displacement class, like MGAs, Triumphs, Alfa Romeos, Sunbeams, Lotuses, Morgans, Austin Healey Sprites, and others.
Fast Facts: The Devin D Sports Car
- The Devin D was introduced in 1958 by American engineer and racer Bill Devin, built on a custom tubular steel chassis with an 82 inch wheelbase designed to accept Volkswagen Beetle suspension and transaxles. Its lightweight fiberglass body was formed from over two dozen individual molds, enabling precise sizing for different configurations.
- Engine choices ranged from affordable air-cooled VW flat-fours to more competitive Porsche 356 units producing 70+ bhp. With a curb weight of barely 1,200 lbs, the power-to-weight ratio was good enough to challenge Porsche Speedsters and British roadsters out on track. Pricing ranged from $1,495 for a kit to around $3,350 fully assembled with a Porsche engine.
- This 1960 example was purchased by the seller in 2017 and given a mechanical and cosmetic refurbishment. The bodywork was refinished in Fashion Grey, the interior was retrimmed in blue vinyl, and the car is powered by a rear-mounted 1,720cc flat-four built from Porsche 356 SC and Super 90 components, paired with a rebuilt Porsche 741 4-speed transaxle.
- The car rides on painted steel wheels with Michelin XZX tires and features Porsche 356B-sourced drum brakes and steering rack. It was featured in 356 Registry magazine, earned runner-up at the 2023 Audrain Concours, completed the 50-mile Audrain Road Tour in 2022, and is offered with a clean Pennsylvania title.
History Speedrun: The Devin D
By the late 1950s, American engineer and racer Bill Devin had already made a name for himself with a line of affordable fiberglass bodies that could turn humble mass-produced automobile chassis into surprisingly competitive sports cars.
Original Devin Cars Caption: “Looking like a king-sized Revell model car kit, the Devin D emerges from its huge shipping case as a finished unit, with integral frame, hand-rubbed lacquer shell, upholstered bucket seats and cockpit.” Image courtesy of Undiscovered Classics.
It was the introduction of the Devin D in 1958 that marked a further step toward even more affordability, not to mention flexibility and no small amount of grassroots racing appeal. The Devin D quickly became a genuine alternative to more expensive imports from the likes of Porsche – especially for enthusiasts who didn’t mind getting their hands dirty and building the car themselves.
At its core, the Devin D was built on a custom tubular steel chassis with an 82-inch wheelbase, designed to accept components from the ubiquitous (and inexpensive) Volkswagen Beetle, including the front/rear suspension and transaxle. It used torsion bars and trailing arms up front, with swing axles and coil springs in the rear.
This setup made it relatively easy to service and allowed homebuilders to complete a car using widely available parts and hand tools. The lightweight fiberglass body was one of Devin’s specialties – formed from more than two dozen individual molds, which enabled precise sizing for different chassis wheelbases, widths, and configurations. Devin bodies were light, aerodynamic, and unmistakably European in profile – despite being made in California.
Engine choices typically centered on air-cooled flat-fours from either Volkswagen or Porsche. The VW units kept costs down, while the Porsche 356 engine provided competitive performance for serious drivers.
A Porsche-powered Devin D could make 70+ bhp, which doesn’t sound like much until you consider the car’s weight – barely 1,200 lbs when fully assembled and brimming with fuel. The power-to-weight ratio was good enough to give Porsche Speedsters and British roadsters a real challenge on track days and hill climbs. Dollar for dollar, the Devin D was hard to beat.
Devin priced the car strategically – a basic body and chassis kit sold for around $1,495, while a fully assembled VW-powered model could be had for just under $3,000. The Porsche versions crept up to around $3,350. Even so, they remained well under the price of a new Porsche 356, offering the same power in a much lighter package.
The Devin D wasn’t just a kit car curiosity, it saw real action on the track. Period race reports and modern restoration notes show that many were campaigned successfully in SCCA events.
This is an original 1960 Devin D, a mid-century American sports car that made use of air-cooled German drivetrains, typically from either Volkswagen or Porsche.
One standout example was originally equipped with a 1.6 liter Porsche Super engine and competed in rallies throughout Europe. That car was fitted with rare Tecnomagnesio wheels, rally gauges, and a full competition setup, demonstrating just how customizable, and capable, the Devin D could be in the right hands.
Despite its low production volume, the Devin D left a meaningful impression in the United States. It offered a stripped-back, analog experience, free of power assists, unnecessary weight, or overcomplicated engineering.
It’s the kind of machine where you feel every bump in the road and every twitch in the rear suspension, for better or worse. It demanded skill and attention, but rewarded drivers with direct feedback and world-beating performance.
Today, original Devin Ds are highly collectible. Restored examples – especially those with Porsche drivetrains – can fetch well over six figures at auction and they remain a popular choice for vintage racers.
The 1960 Devin D Shown Here
This is a 1960 Devin D, it’s a rare fiberglass-bodied, American-made sports car that was bought by the seller in 2017 and then given a mechanical and cosmetic refurb.
The bodywork was repaired and refinished in Fashion Grey over its original Devin Gold, and a replacement wrap-around windshield with aluminum trim was sourced from Devin Sports Cars in Philadelphia.
The car is also equipped with windshield wipers, a driver-side mirror, a vented rear engine cover, chrome rocker panels and rear bumperettes, and a center-exit exhaust. A removable blue soft top, side curtains, top bows, and a tonneau cover are all included in the sale.
Devin Ds raced extensively in period (with quite a bit of success) against Porsche 356s and other cars in their displacement class, like MGAs, Triumphs, Alfa Romeos, Sunbeams, Lotuses, Morgans, Austin Healey Sprites, and others.
The interior was retrimmed in blue vinyl across the dashboard, door panels, rear bulkhead, and twin bucket seats, the latter of which feature factory Devin fiberglass shells.
An engine-turned center dash trim panel now hosts Porsche-sourced switchgear, and a Moto-Lita wood-rimmed steering wheel sits ahead of Porsche instrumentation including a speedometer, tachometer, and fuel level gauge.
Auxiliary gauges for oil pressure and oil temperature flank the center control panel. Additional fitments include blue carpets, a functional cabin heater and defroster, three-point seatbelts, and a passenger-side cubby behind a grab handle.
Power comes from a rear-mounted, air-cooled 1,720cc flat-four assembled using a Porsche 356SC engine case, heads, and camshaft along with a Super 90 third piece.
It’s fed by twin Solex carburetors and has a 12-volt alternator, a full-flow remote oil filter system, and original Porsche heat exchangers mated to a custom-fabricated muffler.
The engine received a valve job at Dawe’s Motorsports Development in July 2019, and the oil was changed in preparation for the sale. Drive is sent through a Porsche 741 4-speed manual transaxle with “BBAB” gearing, which was overhauled at Wills Werks in November of 2019.
The car rides on painted steel wheels with polished hubcaps shod with Michelin XZX tires. The front suspension consists of transverse torsion bars and trailing links, while the rear uses coil-over springs and trailing arms. A sway bar was added during the refurb, along with a steering rack and four-wheel drum brakes sourced from a Porsche 356B.
The five-digit odometer shows 3,100 miles, believed to represent the distance covered since the rebuild, though the title indicated 66,000 miles as of 2020 and so true mileage is unknown.
This Devin D was featured in an issue of the 356 Registry magazine and earned runner-up in its class at the 2023 Audrain Concours in Newport, Rhode Island.
Power comes from a rear-mounted, air-cooled 1,720cc flat-four assembled using a Porsche 356SC engine case, heads, and camshaft along with a Super 90 third piece. It’s fed by twin Solex carburetors and has a 12-volt alternator, a full-flow remote oil filter system, and original Porsche heat exchangers mated to a custom-fabricated muffler.
It also successfully completed the 50-mile Audrain Road Tour in 2022 and has been exhibited at the America On Wheels Museum in Allentown, Pennsylvania, and the Porsche Parade in French Lick, Indiana.
It’s now being offered for sale out of Dallas, Pennsylvania with partial service records, a copy of the magazine feature, and a clean Pennsylvania title in the seller’s name. If you’d like to read more or register to bid you can visit the listing here.
Image courtesy of Bring a Trailer
Articles that Ben Branch has written have been covered on CNN, Popular Mechanics, Smithsonian Magazine, Road & Track Magazine, the official Pinterest blog, the official eBay Motors blog, BuzzFeed, Autoweek Magazine, Wired Magazine, Autoblog, Gear Patrol, Jalopnik, The Verge, and many more.
Silodrome was founded by Ben back in 2010, in the years since the site has grown to become a world leader in the alternative and vintage motoring sector, with well over a million monthly readers from around the world and many hundreds of thousands of followers on social media.
