# John Fitch



## Dslot (Sep 2, 2007)

.
.
*Ladies and gentlemen, I say ye
*
*John Fitch.*​

Mostly, what I remember directly is the *Fitch Phoenix*










(which turned the Corvair into a performance car, and was the last automobile to have fender-mounted spare tires).

But anybody who shot down a 262 _and_ got smooched by Eva Peron is a remarkable man - and that's leaving out all his main accomplishments.

What a life! Courage, skill and innovation. He even made the plastic pig fly. Plus, he was _right_ about Indy. 

-- D
(Okay - apologies to Corvette and Indianapolis fans)


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## slotcarman12078 (Oct 3, 2008)

Good to see ya back Dslot!!! We was getting worried about ya!!!

Oh, and that is one slick looking kit car!! :thumbsup::thumbsup:


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## Bill Hall (Jan 6, 2007)

From the HT AWOL list, straight to a milk carton....we dont mess around. Yer ears should have been burning.


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## CorvairJim (Dec 16, 2011)

What a great loss for the entire auto racing community. I became a fan of John Fitch many years ago, not long after buying my first Corvair in 1980. A guy in the local chapterof the Corvair Society of America had an original Fitch Sprint (a late-model Corvair modified into a true GT machine), and I was smitten with he car the first time I saw it. 

I actually met Mr. Fitch at the 1991 CORSA National Convention in Washington, D.C., where he was a guest speaker. I was there with my then-11 year old daughter. On the final night of the convention, we took a few minutes to check out the car display before the awards banquet, in a room set aside for historic Corvairs. The centerpiece was the Fitch Phoenix, the car in the photo below. The Phoenix was a one-off sports car designed from the ground-up by Mr. Fitch using a modified Corvair drivetrain. It was intended for series production but he couldn't secure the financial backing he needed to make a go f it. I had my daughter pose by the car for a picture when I hear a voice behind me asking if I would like for him to take a picture of the two of us with the car. I turned around to find myself face-to-face with the man himself. I didn't knowwhat to say. I handed him my camera and he took a cuple of pictures of the two of us. I then asked if he would be willing to pose with the car for me and he gladly agreed to. I wish I knew what happened to those pictures.


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## Dslot (Sep 2, 2007)

Sorry I haven't been around much. The requirements of real life suddenly blindsided me for a while, and except for a couple of purchases, I have done almost nothing with slots for the last six months. But non-hobby problems are clearing up, and I hope to start reappearing more regularly on the board soon. :wave:

-- D


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## Dslot (Sep 2, 2007)

CorvairJim said:


> The Phoenix was a one-off sports car designed from the ground-up by Mr. Fitch using a modified Corvair drivetrain. It was intended for series production but he couldn't secure the financial backing he needed to make a go f it.


My understanding was that production of the Phoenix










was largely blocked by the new federal safety legislation, which was very hard for small-volume manufacturers to comply with. GM could afford to pull one car of many thousands made off the line and safety-test it to destruction; a guy making only a couple, or couple of hundred, cars a year couldn't take that kind of monetary hit.



> I had my daughter pose by the car for a picture when I hear a voice behind me asking if I would like for him to take a picture of the two of us with the car. I turned around to find myself face-to-face with the man himself. I didn't know what to say. I handed him my camera and he took a cuple of pictures of the two of us. I then asked if he would be willing to pose with the car for me and he gladly agreed to. I wish I knew what happened to those pictures.


Great story, Jim. Wish you could find the pics.



> A guy in the local chapter of the Corvair Society of America had an original Fitch Sprint (a late-model Corvair modified into a true GT machine), and I was smitten with he car the first time I saw it.


A car-knowledgeable friend of mine says he'd still love to own and drive a Fitch Sprint. 
























I've always liked Corvairs, though I've never owned one. I think the late ones had some of the best, cleanest styling of their time, 










and the addition of Fitch's 'ventop' made them that much better.










I think it's something of a tragedy that Nader and the Busybodies killed the car before it could be developed to its full potential.










But I don't mean to spark a political discussion - believe me, I've heard enough of *that* :freak: lately to last me a _*long*_ time.

Cheers,
-- D


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## ParkRNDL (Mar 20, 2002)

Yeah, I've read about the Fitch Sprint too... always thought it sounded awesome. 

back in high school in the '80s, I test-drove a '66 or so Corvair coupe with a 4-speed. IIRC, the guy was asking $1000. He scared me off by telling me about some oil seals in the heads that needed to be replaced periodically. (I think he really didn't want a kid to get the car and hack it up, but that's after 25 years of hindsight and clouded memory.) Still kicking myself for passing on it...

--rick


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