Bricklin SV-1
| Bricklin SV-1 | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | General Vehicle DBA Bricklin |
| Production | 1974–75 |
| Body and chassis | |
| Class | Sports car |
| Body style | two-door coupé |
| Layout | FR layout |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine |
AMC 360 V8 (1974) Ford Windsor 351 V8 (1975–76) |
| Dimensions | |
| Wheelbase | 96.0 in (2,438 mm) |
| Length | 178.6 in (4,536 mm) |
| Width | 67.6 in (1,717 mm) |
| Height | 48.15 in (1,223 mm) (doors closed) |
| Curb weight | 3,470 lb (1,570 kg) |
The Bricklin SV-1 is a gull-wing door sports car that was assembled in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada. Manufactured from 1974 until late 1975 for the American market, the car was the creation of Malcolm Bricklin, an American millionaire who had previously founded Subaru of America. The car was designed by Herb Grasse. The Bricklin factory was not able to produce vehicles fast enough to make a profit. As a result, the company went into receivership, owing the New Brunswick government $21 million, and less than 3,000 cars were built.
The model name SV-1 was an acronym for "safety vehicle one". The original idea for the Bricklin SV-1 was a safe and economical sports car, but due to the added weight of the safety features, the car was inefficient and simply a safe sports car. The Bricklin was designed for safety with an integrated roll cage, 5 mph (8.0 km/h) bumpers, and side beams. The body was fibreglass with bonded acrylic in five "safety" colours: white, red, green, orange and suntan. The cars had no cigarette lighters or ashtrays "to discourage smoking". A non-smoker, Malcolm Bricklin believed it was unsafe to smoke and drive. The Bricklin is the only production vehicle in automotive history to have factory powered gull-wing doors that opened and closed at the touch of a button as standard equipment. (The later DeLorean DMC-12's gull-wing doors operate manually, and the Tesla Model X's rear doors are referred to as falcon-wing doors rather than gull-wing due to the extra hinge.)
The first Bricklin concept car, later dubbed Grey Ghost, was built by Bruce Meyers of Meyers Manx dune buggy fame in California. Its initial powerplant was a Valiant slant six.
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