A rare LaDawri Conquest, powered by a Paxton-supercharged Ford 289 V8, is now for sale in Portland, Oregon, representing one of the few surviving examples of this little-known American sports car. Originally built in Wyoming during the 1960s, the car embodies the spirit of postwar ingenuity that helped define the nation’s early kit-car culture.
The Conquest rides on a shortened 1952 Ford chassis, its lightweight fiberglass body finished in blue with matching blue vinyl interior. Designed for home assembly, LaDawri bodies were fitted to donor frames and drivetrains by builders, meaning no two cars were exactly alike. This particular example combines period engineering and individual craftsmanship, featuring a C4 three-speed automatic transmission and a Ford 9-inch rear axle with Positraction.
Under its compact hood, the supercharged 289-cubic-inch V8 breathes through a Holley four-barrel carburetor and HiPo intake manifold. The car retains drum brakes at all four corners, rides on chrome wire wheels, and displays a mix of distinctive styling touches including a 1950s Chevrolet truck windshield, Lucas headlights, Pontiac taillights, and an integrated roll bar. The interior carries Stewart-Warner gauges, a Fenton shifter, and dual heaters, blending simplicity with period-correct performance flair.
The LaDawri Conquest traces its origins to Canadian entrepreneur Leslie Albert Dawes, who launched LaDawri Coachcraft in 1956. After moving to Southern California the following year, he expanded production and introduced around 19 fiberglass models before the company’s closure in 1965. The Conquest became the firm’s most famous creation, appearing on the cover of Road & Track in 1957 and earning recognition as one of North America’s earliest fiberglass sports cars.
Today, the Conquest represents a time when creativity, accessibility, and innovation defined American car culture. As interest in early composite-bodied sports cars grows, this supercharged example offers a tangible link to that experimental era—one that blended performance ambition with homebuilt ingenuity.
