Kelmark Engineering

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Kelmark GT

Kelmark Engineering was an automotive specialty shop established in 1969 and based in Okemos, Michigan that focused on high-performance custom V8 drivetrain swaps, the modification and production of rear and mid-engined cars, and custom-built [turn-key] automobiles (the Kelmark GT). Until 1986, Kelmark Engineering manufactured kits and complete, finished, turn-key vehicles which were either Volkswagen-based or built on tubular race car-type frames. The outfit gained its name from the two co-creators who started the operation, Russ Keller and Randy Markham - hence KELMARK. Up until at least 1989, the Kelmark GT was still available as a kit albeit the manufacturer was now, "Kelmark Motors" in Holt, Michigan.

The cars are all "rare" models, but the VW powered Kelmark GT was the most popular. The Kelmark 1 GT Coupe was initially constructed as a V8 engine special in the fall of 1974. Kelmark Engineering later decided to adapt it to fit the Type 1 Volkswagen Beetle chassis. This revised car was introduced as the "Kelmark II". The next model iteration became the "Kelmark GT". The Kelmark GT was featured in the magazine Car and Driver in 1977[1] and 1979.[2] The car had exterior styling that was distinctive for its debut in the beginning of '74. The Kelmark 1 GT Coupe was copied directly from a Dino 246 and partially restyled into the Kelmark II utilizing styling cues from the experimental Two Rotor Corvette to make production easier/cheaper/better. [3] The "Independence" model was a fiberglass body kit for a Volkswagen chassis using a VW or Porsche Type 4 engine, while the "Liberator" model was more customized, and could be mounted on a tube frame, Porsche or heavily modified VW chassis or even a custom combination with Mazda Rotary, Chevy Corvair, Porsche 6, Buick V6 or V8 power.[4] It is estimated that only 200 Kelmark GT's were built as Liberator cars.


Rear view of a V8-engined Kelmark GT

The final body design of the Kelmark GT was 5 inches wider than an original Ferrari-built Dino 246 GTS in order to allow it to fit over a VW chassis. The windshield came from a Ford Pinto, and the side glass was the rear windows of a Chervolet Caprice/Impala turned backwards.

Kelmark gained a reputation as an innovator starting with V8 conversions for Beetles and Corvairs. They produced a unique car for the time period: a V8-powered Volkswagen Beetle.[4] It was marketed as the "Sleeper", and was meant to look like a stock Beetle. It was that style chassis that the Kelmark GT was originally designed for. There was also a mid-engine V8 conversion for the Chevy Corvair that was called the "V8-Vair".[4]

Kelmark also designed a big-block V8 "Super Car" utilizing a custom tube frame to accept an Oldsmobile Toronado drive unit mounted in the mid-engine position driving the rear wheels. Typically, these rare GT's were powered by the Olds 425 or 455 cubic inch (7.5 litre) engine. One of these models was outfitted with a highly tuned, Chevrolet big-block 454 cubic inch engine and was tested by Car and Driver and broke the 200 mph barrier. Thus, becoming the worlds fastest street-legal sports car in 1979. Car & Driver magazine reported this as the “Fastest documented speed ever attained by a street machine”. This special Kelmark GT was clocked at 202.7 by Car & Driver at the former Transportation Research Center in Ohio (now a part of Honda's US test facility). This proved out the cars advanced aerodynamic and performance capabilities.


References

  1. ↑ Car and Driver magazine, November 1977.
  2. ↑ Car and Driver magazine, "Going for it", 1979.
  3. ↑ "Kelmark History at Bugoholics"
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Company marketing brochure, scanned copy available at and .

External links

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