Bill Devin

He is primarily known as the founder of Devin Enterprises, a company that built fiberglass body-kit conversions and complete automobiles.

[1] Devin's father ran an auto repair shop and later a Chevrolet dealership, giving his son an early exposure to cars and their workings.

The first "vehicle" often credited to Devin was a small open-top child's car built for his younger brother Gene out of an old metal sign and powered by a motor salvaged from a gasoline-powered washing machine.

He worked as a machinist's mate until being assigned to an assault transport unit where he became a motor mechanic responsible for maintaining the landing craft.

Devin would go on to race the Hotshot at tracks like Pebble Beach, Palm Springs, Torrey Pines and elsewhere, competing and often winning against larger MGs and Jaguars.

Devin later sold his Fontana dealership and partnered with Ernie McAfee in a plan to sell exotic-cars.

This location quickly became a favorite haunt for people involved in motor sports at the time, like Henry N. Manney III.

He went to Italy with Chinetti to pick the car up, but on their arrival in Modena they were told that the 250MM (chassis 0312MM) would not be ready in time for Le Mans.

In 2006 a Ferrari 340 America with chassis number 0202A was discovered that had received both a Chevrolet V8 engine and a Devin fiberglass body at some time around the year 1958.

When it was rediscovered by Tom Shaughnessy it became one of the most famous "barn-finds" and was documented in a chapter called "Between the Devin and the deep blue sea" in the book "The Hemi in the Barn".

Following his work on the Devin-Panhards, Devin began to sell aftermarket fiberglass bodies for custom sports cars.

In the July 1961 issue of Car and Driver magazine the American automotive journalist Henry N. Manney III wrote about Bill Devin.

In the article, entitled "The Enzo Ferrari of Okie Flats", Manney described Devin as a conjurer, an enthusiast and "Crazy like a fox".

He said that "(Devin's) unerring eye for the ridiculous and sense of timing" caused Manney to recommend that everyone that could take a trip to see him perform.