Fitch Literature

Jan/Feb 2019 edition
Issue #3 AutoMobilia Resource
David Kayser

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The late John Cooper Fitch’s storied 18-year racing career began in the early 1950s, which included driving for the factory teams of Mercedes-Benz, and later Chevrolet, competing at the highest level in Europe and the USA. In the 1960s, he was heavily involved with improving and modifying cars, and inventing automotive safety items such as the ‘Fitch Inertial Barrier’. You see these safety barriers at exit ramps and abutments on all public highways.

Fitch’s specially modified versions of two of GM’s most innovative 1960’s production cars, constitute a source of some of the more obscure and interesting collectable American car literature of the era.
Though rare, compared to the “regular” Chevrolet Corvair or Oldsmobile Toronado advertising material, Fitch literature will often be found on eBay, using keywords “Fitch” in combination with Corvair, or from the larger automobile literature dealers that maintain a focus on sports car or racing material. Expect to pay between $20 to $50 for the brochures described in this article. Here, the limited awareness and relative obscurity of the subject, more than compensates for its rarity in determining market value. A rare win for the sophisticated collector.

The Fitch Sprint: Soon after its introduction in 1960, John Fitch became intrigued with the potential of Chevrolet’s new Corvair. He developed a series of suspension modifications, later adding engine tuning tricks that would be found in his specially prepared Corvairs promoted as “Fitch Sprints”, and eventually selling these components separately, or as complete kits installed at select Chevy dealers. Several variations of the Fitch Sprint brochures were printed, featuring the prepared Fitch Sprint, as well as featuring the available components individually. These early first series brochures are significantly rarer than those of the second-generation cars.

The post 1965 cars were a vast improvement with their fully articulated trailing arm rear suspension, and the brochures also became more sophisticated, with textured paper and real staples!

Fitch Phantom: Fitch applied a similar formula to the revolutionary front wheel drive 1966 Oldsmobile Toronado, adding performance enhancements, and innovative luxury features befitting this upmarket car…. a sliding fabric sunroof and “Fan-Aire” seats were included. It appears two cars were built, one 1966, and one 1967.

The elegantly simple square 7.5” x 7.5” black and white brochure rather immodestly titled “The Phantom by Fitch. Toronado Inspired”, not only played up the performance improvements, but also positioned the Phantom as a Grand Touring car with an (unusual for the time) emphasis on the sound system. Highlights featured both a stereophonic tape deck and a radio reverberator(!) 

The Fitch Phoenix: The 1966 Fitch Phoenix was constructed at Frank Reisner’s Intermeccanica Carrozeria in Italy, utilizing modified Corvair mechanicals.  It was built on a shortened second-generation Corvair chassis and originally intended as a high-style American designed alternative to a Porsche, combining a number of unique (though somewhat dissonant) styling elements. There was an optimistic production goal of building upwards of 500 examples, but only one prototype was ever built.

A very collectible small folder inviting the public to see the Phoenix was distributed in advance to customers of the upscale sporting fashion outfitter, Abercrombie and Fitch (no relation to John) as well as to members of various sports car clubs in the area. This small folder presented an artist rendering of the Phoenix, proclaiming “A Limited Edition” .....it sure was! Interestingly, this small brochure featured a “co-op” ad on the back for Alitalia Airlines; presumably offsetting the expense of flying the completed Phoenix from Intermeccanica’s Turin Carrozzeria to NYC!

A provocative and beautifully produced 8.5” x 11” “real” sales brochure was soon issued with the teasing ad copy, “Delightfully Different Wickedly Beautiful”, along with a profile of John Fitch standing next to the Phoenix.
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By 1966, upcoming legislation and safety & emissions regulations signaled an end to the era of small scale USA based specialist enthusiast constructors like John Fitch and Co., but thankfully through the advertising materials, we can still experience some of that era’s boundless optimism.

David Kayser

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