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LaDawri
- Formula Libre and Vendetta |
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Hi Jon,
The Formula Libre, was first made for
PBS, a
California company that built Fiat-based sports-racing cars for SCCA racing.
They made a few of them, and I have seen them way back when. There was an
article in Road and Track about PBS that talked about the body and said it was
designed by Clark Adams, an aerospace engineer. From what I understand
LaDawri made the bodies and then got the molds to sell the Formula Libre
themselves. The idea was that you sent them the dimensions of your chassis and engine and they would modify the body to fit. I have never seen a Formula Libre
other than on a PBS.
-
Harold Pace
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 From
Harold Pace and Mark Brinkers' outstanding book:
Vintage American Road Racing Cars 1950-1970
"In late 1965,
PBS
built its own space-frame, mid-engined chassis and clothed it in a
fiberglass coupe body designed by engineer Clark Adams.
Airheart disc brakes were used, and the first car used a Fiat
transmission (a Hewland was later substituted). Kit car
builder LaDawri, who marketed the body separately as the Formula
Libre, built the body. Bud Patterson and Bob Swensen drove the
factory car, powered by an 850-cc engine. A second car (Mk.2)
was sold to Elliot Mendenhall, who raced it in the Southwest.
Although
PBS
later built other racing cars, the company was not in the chassis
business and preferred to sell only its engines.
PBS is still in
business, making Fiat performance parts and working on environmental
projects." |
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It doesn't appear
that LaDawri sold any Formula Libre's other than the two that were
made for PBS racing.
One of the cars was said to have been shipped to Japan. - Jon Greuel |
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The Vendetta |
 Following
the closing of LaDawri operations, Les Dawes continued working on a
Formula Libre bodied VW based car. The plan was to complete
the car and work financing with Canadians to build the car in
Canada. Once the car was complete, Les towed the car to Canada
on a trip to visit family. He was hoping to meet with business
colleagues about beginning manufacturing the Vendetta in Canada.
According to Joan Dawes, the meeting didn't happen due to time
constraints. On the return trip to Southern California, a
truck ran over the towed car and back of the van. Everyone
survived, however, Les' recovery was long and painful.  |
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