A Look at the Almquist

Almquist was one of the very first names I came across when I got the idea of looking for a Crosley powered sportscar. Back then (1997) fiberglass bodied Crosleys weren't particularly more expensive than a Hotshot or Super Sports, unless it was one of the few with major race history, of course.  They were just considered old 'kit' cars, back then, so there wasn't a huge following... even if they were harder to find than a stock Crosley.
 

As I delved into the history of homebuilt Crosley sportscars I quickly learned a lot about the major names like Devin and Jabro, but didn't come up with a lot of information about Almquist.  I did learn that there were several body types, including the Sabre and the Speedster, and that they were based on the east coast.

Then Crosley engine guru Barry Seel cleared up a lot of the details with an in-depth interview with Ed Almquist that was published in the Crosley Quarterly.  Ed Almquist still lived in Pennsylvania, not far from the old Almquist Speed Equipment HQ and had vivid memories of his days as one of the country's premier distributors of speed equipment - including sporty fiberglass bodies that bolted right up to a Crosley frame.

Now the folks over at Forgotten Fiberglass have gone one better and posted three articles about the Almquist and its predecessor from Clearfield Plastics.  The latest posting is a great piece on Ed Almquist by Donna Kessler... be sure to check it out parts I and II of the Clearfield Plastics story here and here.