The 1960 Kellison J5 GT Astra Roadster. A lightweight fibreglass sports car, built around a Kellison chassis and a J-series Roadster body; about as far removed from the everyday as you can get.
The man behind it all was Jim Kellison, one of the true pioneers of the American fibreglass sports car movement. At a time when independent builders were crafting their own interpretations of the sports car, Kellison stood out. Today, J-cars are rare, highly sought after by collectors, and admired for exactly what they are: beautifully unconventional, lightweight and, above all, built for one thing: fun.
Open the bonnet and you'll find a Chevrolet V8, breathing through a Holley four-barrel carburettor. A lightweight fibreglass body combined with classic American V8 power is a recipe that needs little explanation.
It sounds exactly the way you'd hope it would. Deep, mechanical and unmistakably American.
And then there's the driving. With barely any weight to haul around and V8 torque in abundance, the Kellison delivers the kind of raw, uncomplicated experience that modern sports cars simply cannot match. It isn't about lap times. It's about the sound, the sensation, and the grin that appears almost the moment you turn the key.
This J5 GT Astra Roadster was restored in the past and presents in tidy overall condition, with only light signs of use. Finished in red with a matching red interior, it has all the right ingredients for an American sports car of its era.
Inside, you'll find original-style bucket seats alongside a dashboard fitted with VDO instruments and a beautifully simple wooden steering wheel. No screens. No driving modes. No unnecessary complications. Just you, the car, and that V8.
At Kellison, it was never about mass production or playing it safe. While countless small manufacturers of the era experimented with fibreglass sports cars, Kellison Engineering became one of the few to achieve genuine production numbers and leave a real mark on American automotive history.
This particular example has also been part of a private museum collection, adding an interesting extra chapter to its story.
Rare, characterful and wonderfully unconventional; the Kellison J5 GT Astra Roadster is exactly the kind of classic we love at Cool Classic Club.
Not perfect. Not sensible. Not ordinary.
Just very, very cool.
