Forgotten Project: 1954 LaDawri Conquest
We’ve featured a muppet handful of LaDawri fiberglass things over the years, including a Del Mar, a Sebring, and a Nackardbaker somethingorother…but we’ve never featured a Conquest before. La Dawri Coachcraft was a fiberglass kit-car manufacturer that started in British Columbia in the 1950s, but soon moved to Southern California (hot bed of the hot rod car culture). La Dawri featured a number of fiberglass designs and you can read more about them here on forgottenfiberglass. Today’s Conquest has almost been conquered by the elements, but with a ’54 Ford Y-Block V8 it looks worth the archeological dig necessary to bring it back to life..or bring it to life in the first place. Find this 1954 LaDawri Conquest offered for $12,250 in Southern California via craigslist.
From the seller:
1954 ford LaDawri
condition: fair
cylinders: 8 cylinders
drive: rwd
fuel: gas
odometer: 1
paint color: black
title status: missing
transmission: manual
type: convertible
more ads by this user1954 Ford LaDawri Conquest rolling/running project. V8/manual trans. LaDawri built plastic fibre bodies in Long Beach California to fit a variety of otherwise normal cars that weren’t particularly attractive. these lovely roadster bodies were penned at ArtCenter College of Design. this rare LaDawri Conquest body was fitted to a 1954 ford with a Y-block engine that runs and floor shift manual transmission. the chassis and floorpan are also modified 54 ford as is the running gear. the dash is also modified 54 ford. the interior has the flavor of a mid 50’s corvette. bucket seating. this amazing body is all original and has never been painted. it is just as it left the factory over 60 years ago. the car appears to never have been quite finished, but at one time very close to that point. it has been sitting for years and will need to be gone through and finished to make it a stunning piece of vintage motoring history, for someone who wants something that will stand out and above anything else at a car show. not for those who don’t care for attention. pictured silver and brown cars are what these cars can look like. rare opportunity on an extremely rare and especially stylish car. worldwide shipping available. interesting automotive trades considered.
do NOT contact me with unsolicited service
See a better way to drive something almost finished? tips@dailyturismo.com
According to the brochure, it uses a Chevy pickup windshield, so that should make the prospective buyers life a little easier.
Amazing lines for a 1950s kit car.
-Stan (no snark, just admiration)
Yeah, it’s really a beauty. Faded, but it’s there.
Hard to imagine I’d fit behind that wheel, like the time I was humiliated by the obviously defective harness at the amusement park, or like the guy in the Bradley GT video.