The first fiberglass Allison-Craft Boats

[Smokin' Joe]

The first fiberglass Allisons were made in 1961. They'd run 50 mph down the straightaway with a Merc 500, then roll up on the side and turn like a dream. These pictures were sent to us by Lucille Allison in 1962, while the factory was still their garage in Alcoa, Tenn.

See the history section of the Allison Boats web page for a picture of Paul driving one of his glass boats in that era (so far as I know, he didn't race from 1958 onward except for the 1960 unlimited record run). Jay Cox won the Orange Bowl Regatta ca. 1961 driving a 13' Allison with a Merc 500. The Allison drivers from Maryville (all using Mercurys) blew the official Kiekhaefer team away.

Note added: The mold for the first glass Allison in 1961 was a Rose boat. Morton Rose built boats for a few years in Knoxville, Buddy Mallonee (Gateway Sporting Goods' mechanic/driver) used one in 1958 to set the NOA OPC Unlimited Class record with a '60 Scott' at nearly 52 mph, at a time when 48 mph was hard to hit. I write '60 Scott' because the motor was far from stock, Gateway (J.C. Leatherwood) was McCulloch's 'man' in NOA, and McCulloch tried to use NOA in 1957-'58 to showcase its motors. I don't recall that anyone ran a 13' Rose in 40-50 Class (the 'EP' of those days, where I raced), and the Scott 40 was outclassed by the Mark 58 from 1958 on. When Scott came out with a 45, the Merc 500 was also produced, so 1958 was effectively McCulloch's last gasp. Gateway quit racing after 1958.