Kinsmen Coaster Classic Montreal, Canada Champion (1938)

Last crawled date: 10 months, 3 weeks ago

This is a soapbox racer that ran in the Kinsmen Coaster Classic in Montreal, Canada. Constructed and piloted by class B entry Bill Telfer, the car won the championship in the inaugural race in 1938. The Kinsmen Coaster Classic, unaffiliated with the All-American Soap Box Derby in the US, hosted derby-style races well into the 1970s. As an unofficial Derby franchise its champions did not qualify for the All-American World Championship in Akron, Ohio. This stout racer was typical of the some of the best designs of the day, sporting a curvilinear body over a teardrop plan with a very short wheelbase. It featured a headrest fairing, windscreen, upholstered seat back with cockpit edging, and a tow ring mounted on the nose. This model is created from several black and white archival photos taken in 1938. It is equipped with non-Soap Box Derby wheels painted to match the body colors, estimated to be those of its sponsor, Cadbury. Emblazoned on the nose of the car is its name, 'Thunderbolt.'