The term “kit car” has some negative connotations that elicit visions of the Pontiac Fiero doing its best to look like an Italian sports car. But there was a time when the kits were a little better than that, and they’re getting old enough to be historically interesting.
This Fiberfab Centurion is a fine example of the breed, and not only does it look great, not only is it in excellent condition, it also comes with a dark backstory that has intrigue, betrayal, and death. But first, the basics.
The Centurion was created by Fiberfab, a kit car company based in California that crafted bodywork for a range of vehicles, such as the Ford Mustang, the Jaguar E-Type, the Jeep Willys, and, of course, the Chevrolet Corvette.
This model was heavily inspired by the Chevrolet XP-87, an experimental prototype that would come to define much of the design of the C2 Corvette. Built in 1959, the concept was penned by Bill Mitchell, Pete Brock, and Larry Shinoda. Its legend was cemented on the racetrack, when it won the SCCA Championship in 1960, with Dick Thompson at the wheel.
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The design caught the eye of Warren “Bud” Goodwin, the founder of Fiberfab, who eventually put the Centurion into production. And the idea made sense. Like the XP-87, the Centurion was designed to fit onto a C1 Corvette chassis, and the body was made out of fiberglass.
So similar was the design, that legend has it Chevrolet was planning to send Fiberfab a cease and desist order. However, the company didn’t get a chance because Goodwin was about to run into some personal trouble.
At around this time, Goodwin allegedly walked into his home one day to find his wife, Jamaica, in bed with one of his mechanics. The exact circumstances are murky, but Goodwin shot and killed his wife, in what would come to be ruled voluntary manslaughter later in court.
According to Silodrome, he was sentenced to 12 months in prison, but would never see freedom again, dying of a massive heart attack a few months later. Although the company lives on to this day, that was the end of the line for the short-lived Centurion.
The number of bodies that Fiberfab managed to make is not known, but is likely less than 12. This one may also be the only one in Europe, having been purchased at a Barrett-Jackson auction in 2018, and exported to Andorra, per Artcurial, which is handling the auction of this model. In addition, it reports that this is the only known example with two profiled headrests.
The fully restored car is powered by a 4.6-liter V8 that is rated for 283 hp (211 kW/287 PS). In excellent condition, the auction house estimates that it will sell for between €120,000 and €160,000 ($131,367-$175,156 USD at current exchange rates) when it crosses the block on June 30 at the Le Mans Classic Sale 2023.
