After retiring from active racing he founded John Fitch & Co., Inc., where he designed and fabricated special automobiles; Corvair "Sprint", Fitch Firebird, Toronado Phantom, Fitch Phoenix and vehicle barriers, 1960-76.

He became active in the search for an effective impact attenuator or crash cushion to arrest errant vehicles after his co-driver on the Mercedes Benz team crashed at Le Mans resulting in 85 fatalities. Mr. Fitch invented the Fitch Inertial Barrier System* and his company produced and distributed the system throughout the US and overseas.

Mr. Fitch continues his association with the industry in the development of new products. He is one of the founders of Advanced Power Systems International, a company established to commercialize not only his innovations but those of others involved in advancing transportation safety and efficiency.

As a result of experience with land vehicles in racing, team management, circuit design, passenger car development, highway barrier design and consulting with universities, research organizations and auto manufacturers, he has a broad knowledge of the behavior of vehicles on racing circuits and public roads.

*Clusters of energy absorbing cylinders installed in advance of immoveable hazards on the highways. The cylinders embody an essential raised center of gravity of the sand they contain. Upon impact, their progressively increased weights through the sequence of cylinders maintain a constant rate of deceleration.