Rare Gem - Page 8

This is a 1958 Bee Line, Sapphire. It was made in Michigan and that is where I found it, in a small town named Cadillac. It was "Mystery Boat" number Five on Fiberglassics.com at the start of our website. Lee Wangstad identified it and passed the information along to me, knowing I was searching for this model.

Only two magazines have ever been found to document this boat, both displayed a very small black and white ad, reproduced here, nothing else is known about it. Only three of these have turned up so far, mine, the first located, is serial number Eight. It seems as though this is going to be another very rare model.

There were a number of companies calling themselves Bee Line in the fifties. I plan to research the Bee Line travel trailer company on a hunch that they may have been testing the waters of the small boat market. It may, however, turn out to be another "Barn Built Boat."

The hardtop shown is an aftermarket "Sea Breeze" unit. It could be fitted to any boat, and for a time l had planned it for this one. I later obtained a better boat for the roof, and located an outrageous "Double Bubble" Batmobile style windshield, another aftermarket piece, which has since been installed on the Bee Line. Though the Tail fins are the best looking of any "Glassic Boat," the front was just too plain. The New windshield makes up for this slight deficiency.

To me, the boat would be a good match for the Studebaker Hawk, as its fins are either a caricature of that car, or it's "Pakard-Baker" cousin.