Athos Cars - Chamonix Roadster

In the US the Beck cars were originally manufactured in Brazil by Chamonix, but production was brought back to the US for better quality control and reduction of supply chain issues.  I believe Chamonix was originally a partnership between Kevin Hines and Chuck Beck (Beck cars) and Brazilian partners whose names I don't know.  Carey Hines ( @chines1), who now runs Special Edition (maker of all Beck cars) in the US, can provide more info here.

The product lines have diverged and expanded.  When they separated, Beck made the 550 Spyder, 356 Speedster, and 904 GTS (which was always made in the US).  They've now added the 356C Super Coupe.  The 356 cars (Speedster and Coupe) are on completely different, more advanced chassis than when they were allied with Chamonix.  Special Edition does not currently make a Roadster version.  Go to www.beckspeedster.com for details.

EDIT: Here's an excerpt from the  the history section from the Beck Speedster oner's manual:

Special Edition, Inc. was formed in the early 1980's and has been instrumental in the evolution of the Specialty Automotive industry.  Working closely with Puma, Envemo, Later, and several other Brazilian manufacturers, Special Edition, Inc pioneered the "Pre-Assembled Body Package".

Nice car - 356 Roadster – Athos Cars (athos-cars.com)

Notice the Chamonix and Beck logos - identical except name.

Beck spyders were initially labelled as 'Vintage 550 Spyder', but somehow they lost the 'Vintage' name.

Given the prices and lead times on domestically built cars, I can understand the compulsion to look outside the US for a different value proposition. Regarding this company, there were two things that stuck out to me immediately upon following the link:

1) The website is a clunky, glitchy mess.

2) Every pictured car is riding high enough that the rear (obviously swing-axle) wheels have positive camber.

If they can't set up a website and can't set up a car so it won't kill you while driving it, I'm probably not inclined to give them my money. I lived in Brazil for a few months back in the 80s -- they're excellent craftsmen within limits. I'd buy a Puma, but probably not one of these.

I looked at Athos' website using multiple browsers and also experienced issues as well which should be corrected if they want to attract foreign buyers. However, their videos on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/athos.cars/) look impressive. Like Vintage Motor Cars, they may have new ownership and have invested in their facility, molds, equipment, and processes to improve quality.

Personally, I like their Roadster and it reminds me of Intermeccanica's car which is no longer making any 356 the last time I checked. So, is it correct to say that nobody in the US is making a Roadster?

@SpeedNW posted:

Like Vintage Motor Cars, they may have new ownership and have invested in their facility, molds, equipment, and processes to improve quality.

The exact opposite, it is an attempt at resurrecting the old and abandoned molds and jigs.  Over the years we started doing less and less in Brazil because we just could not get the quality that I demanded in certain areas.  Eventually it got to the point where all I was doing in Brazil was the raw body and chassis, and then even that didn't meet my standards and the decision was made to stop manufacturing there at all and all Beck products were moved back to the US.

I have agreed to do a few convertible D projects as well as a few roll up window speedsters for clients in the queue.  We do roll up windows on our coupe and GTS as a standard, so it's not that big of a deal in terms of "doing it" the issue is the parts.  The aftermarket parts that are currently available are not nice enough, or even shaped/designed properly, which leaves us trying to restore original D parts, which are like hens teeth and priced like gold... especially the very complex top frame.  Historically there has not been enough demand for the D to justify the tooling cost of these items, at least in my experience.  We offered the D for several years and I only built a handful...

All of that said, we're still sold out for nearly 3 years so getting one out of here won't be quick no matter what.

@Doug Kennedy posted:

Notice the Chamonix and Beck logos - identical except name.

Yes, as Lane mentioned above, my father, Chuck and Milton Masteguin built the Chamonix factory and it was our manufacturing facility for many, many years.  It was later run by his son, Newton, and then we reduced production there starting around 2010 and ceased production there a few years later.

re:  "vintage" in the name

You are correct, the first Spyders were the Beck Vintage 550 Spyder and when Vintage Spyders came out with their own version, Chuck dropped the word "vintage" to avoid confusion, and it became the "Beck 550 Spyder".  Many years later, Porsche trademarked the number "550" (as well as several others) and it became simply the Beck Spyder.

@chines1 posted:

The exact opposite, it is an attempt at resurrecting the old and abandoned molds and jigs.  Over the years we started doing less and less in Brazil because we just could not get the quality that I demanded in certain areas.  Eventually it got to the point where all I was doing in Brazil was the raw body and chassis, and then even that didn't meet my standards and the decision was made to stop manufacturing there at all and all Beck products were moved back to the US.

I have agreed to do a few convertible D projects as well as a few roll up window speedsters for clients in the queue.  We do roll up windows on our coupe and GTS as a standard, so it's not that big of a deal in terms of "doing it" the issue is the parts.  The aftermarket parts that are currently available are not nice enough, or even shaped/designed properly, which leaves us trying to restore original D parts, which are like hens teeth and priced like gold... especially the very complex top frame.  Historically there has not been enough demand for the D to justify the tooling cost of these items, at least in my experience.  We offered the D for several years and I only built a handful...

All of that said, we're still sold out for nearly 3 years so getting one out of here won't be quick no matter what.

Carey - Thank you for the background information on Athos!

I'm sure Carey can build you an awesome convertible D.  The convertible top mechanism, as Carey said, will be your biggest challenge.  And I don't think that the roadster seats can be sourced.  Intermeccanica is no longer making cars so finding a nice used Intermeccanica Convertible D may be your only option.  That's what I did. But it won't be cheap.

Good luck. 

Steering wheel in 2000 when the car was built cost $550.  Now your can't find that steering wheel for less than $2000.  Car currently has 13000 km on the odometer.  Car needed a new engine so its getting a new 2650 Type 4.  Will have AC but no heat.  Still in LA waiting for the engine.  And the best news is that in 2025 I can put an antique plate on it and I won't have to pay the ridiculous Virginia personal property tax. 

If you can wait the 3 years, have Carey build you a Conv D.  Its going to be real tough finding a nice IM Conv D.  It will likely take 3 years just to find one. 

Does anyone know anything about this Chamonix replica that was in photo of the Brazil Chamonix factory "For Sale" ad several years ago?  Only have one of the front but it looks interesting. In ad, there were several white and yellow ones.  911-looking front hood with 550-looking rear fenders.  Assuming none made it to US?

Those were an aerodynamic 550 spyder with a German wind tunnel engineered "body kit".  They ran a few of them in Brazil and did quite well.  

We brought several to the states for a proposed race series that never took off.  I have one of the prototypes in my warehouse still, as well as a few sets of the aero body cladding.  A few made it onto the track on the East coast (VIR) and a few others have bounced around the used market as projects recently.