The racing world lost one of its most colorful characters on November 22 when Bill Devin passed away following a stroke. An accomplished racer in his own right, Devin teamed up with Ernie McAfee in the ’50s to import Siata V-8s before deciding he could build a better car on his own.
His first effort was the famed Devin-Panhards followed by a line of kit/racecar bodies. Wanting to market complete cars as well, he introduced the Chevy-powered Devin SS in 1958 and the Porsche/VW-powered Devin D shortly thereafter. Unfortunately, Devin moved out of the automotive scene in 1965 after failing to secure financing for volume production. A regular fixture on the vintage racing scene, his wit, warmth and sense of humor were a delight to all who knew him. He will be sorely missed.
Submitted by Harold Pace
