The Fiberfab Valkyrie and Avenger series

Posted by John Mellberg September 17, 2020

The Fiberfab Valkyrie and Avenger series

Christian Ruhle's Avenger GT

One of the most revered and storied makers of kit and specialty cars in America, Fiberfab, was founded by Warren "Bud" Goodwin in 1964.

Goodwin was born in 1921 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin but moved to California in '39. He was a former racecar driver and entrepreneur who had already been a pioneer in the US kit car scene. His previous company, Sports Car Engineering, produced Microplas Mistral bodies under license under the name "Spyder".

A model poses with the Valkyrie

In 1967, Fiberfab introduced the Valkyrie which was offered a 427 cubic inch Chevrolet engine, a ZF transaxle, and 4 wheel Hearst-Amheart disk brakes. The car was sold exclusively in turn-key form at first, but was later offered as a kit. It's cheaper sibling, the Avenger was introduced concurrently.

On Sept. 13, that same year, Goodwin was arrested on suspicion of murder in the shooting death of his second wife, Jamaica. The police reported that Bud had found Jamaica with Thor Kiddoo, a house guest and purported Fiberfab factory engineer. Bud's involvement in the company was largely over at that point, he pled no contest, and was convicted of voluntary manslaughter. He died of a heart attack a year later, while incarcerated.

Avenger GT12 restored by Rick Santana Jr.

Fiberfab produced the Avenger, in various guises from the late 60's until 1979. Originally built on a ladder type frame, it was designed to accept Corvair Power or a Olds/Buick V-8. Later versions were made to mate to a VW floor-pan with Bug or Porsche power. My personal favorite was the GT15 which was designed around Corvair power.

Both the Avenger and Valkyrie's sleek lines were inspired by the hugely successful GT40 Le Mans racer from Ford. With it's bulgy, aggressive fenders and low, wide stance it made for a very purposeful look. As was typical of Fiberfab kits of the era, this was no easy build and usually the quality of the bodies was, at best, questionable.

Avenger G15

The Kit consisted of the body, scored for windows, doors, and hood. It came with a complete set of interior panels and conventional doors with roll up windows. All else was supplied from various donors, which meant scouring the salvage yards for parts. Of the many parts which were required, a short list includes side glass from a 70's Ford LTD, rear glass from a Mach 1 Mustang, Karmann Ghia windshields also fit the car ( I'm told ), if using V-8 power, a transaxle out of any late model Toronado or Riviera was required.

Avenger GT12X

The Avenger was offered in four versions: the GT12 and 12X and the GT15 and 15X. They were available with one or 3 piece bodies. The GT12 was designed to fit a VW Beetle using VW or Porsche power. The GT15 and 15X were made to accept Corvair drivetrain and suspension parts. The "X" models incorporated a Chin spoiler in the nose of the car.
Fiberfab claimed that the kit could be assembled in a little over 100 hours. That was, of course, not the case, but over the life of the car many improvements were made to the kit's design to make construction a little easier. Fiberfab's original production run of Avengers ceased in 1979.

The 1970 Valkyrie

In 2003 a "new" Fiberfab was founded and began producing Valkyries, using the original molds, in Washougal, WA. Avengers also remain in production today by a Canadian offshoot of the original company.

Though dismissed by some as a GT40 imitator, the Avenger and Valkyrie have proven their enduring appeal. They are truly timeless classics from the "Golden Age" of American fiberglass kit cars.

Sources:

Coachbuilt.com

eBay

The Fiberfab Avenger Facebook Group

Fiberclassics.org