1974-1976 Bricklin SV-1
Malcolm Bricklin could be considered a rather peculiar car guy. Before he set to work on his own car, he established Subaru’s American offices; later, he imported the Yugo to our shores. But in between those projects he brought to production a car of his own, the Bricklin SV-1 (short for Safety Vehicle 1). The emphasis here was on safety over performance wrapped in a fiberglass-acrylic body with the intent on exceeding all US government mandated safety measures.
The Bricklin was engineered in America, borrowing a lot of AMC Hornet suspension pieces. The car was manufactured in New Brunswick, Canada with a lot of financial help from the Canadian government. On the safety front, the SV-1 featured an integrated roll cage, high-impact bumpers, and side beams. Perhaps one of the most distinguishing features were the electro-hydraulic gullwing doors, and in 1974 the wedge-shaped design made the SV-1 stand out from its competition.
The SV-1 began production with an AMC 360 cubic inch V-8 good for 220hp, paired to a four-speed manual. After 137 units were built, Bricklin switched over to an AMC 3-speed automatic. Bricklin was having difficulty getting the AMC engines, so in 1975, a switch was made to a 351 cubic inch Ford Windsor V-8. Good for only 175hp, a Ford-sourced three-speed automatic was the only transmission offered. Car and Driver tested this car, and acheived a 0-60mph time of 8.3 seconds. 1/4 mile was done in 16.6 seconds at 83.6mph, with a top speed of 118mph. From a performance standpoint, the SV-1 was competitive, but not a stand-out.
Bricklin had hoped that this would be an inexpensive sports car, but in the end, it was anything but. In 1975, Car and Driver’s as tested price was $9,780. A Corvette Stingray’s base price was $6,810. Worse, there were quality control problems from the start. Fit and finish were no where even close to what one would expect from a car of this price. Bricklin lost money on every car it sold, and when they asked the Canadian government for another hand-out, this time they refused. Bricklin had promised the Canadian’s a capacity of 1,000 cars per month. From 1974 to 1976, a total of 2,854 SV-1’s were built. Without the government backing, Bricklin closed their doors.
Given the bleak automotive landscape that was 1974, you would think that it would be an odd time to introduce a car like the Bricklin. With the onslaught of US-mandated safety and emissions measures, my guess is that Malcolm Bricklin saw an opportunity for a new age of safe, sporty looking cars. The SV-1 is not a sports car, and I do not think history will look back on the car as one. Safety is important, and Bricklin made the most of the technology available at the time. Even Car and Driver admitted the SV-1 made the Corvette look antiquated. But when the company went so far to suggest the offering of a manual transmission was not in keeping with its image of safety, well, it almost seems like the SV-1 is a gull-winged car for people who hate sports cars.
The Corvette offered similar performance for less money; the Datsun 260Z even more-so, and neither car had the quality control problems of the Bricklin. A unique car with the best intentions but not much else going for it.
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
Tom
Having grown up in Fredericton, the Capital of New Brunswick, I saw a lot of them driving around back then, many by politicians.
Though I know was not a great car, or commercial success, I still have a warm spot in my heart for them, and I’m always happy to see one on the the road, still in use.
Cheers!
As a kid, there was a guy in a local apartment building who had two. 1 orange and 1 white. The white one lived outside and had deep cracks in the roof, which was apparently quite common when they were outside during the winter.
When we moved into our house about 14 years ago, there was a guy around the corner who had a white one and an Avanti in the garage. The guy put a for sale sign on the Bricklin one day so I dropped by for a visit. He was asking something delusional like 70 grand! It wasn’t even a nice one.
Still, I’ve always had a soft spot for it. Not only is it a true piece of Canadian automotive history, but they look pretty cool to boot.
There is a Bricklin for sale at Hemmings for $15k!
What I like best about Bricklins and these stories is the word, “was”.
I bought a Bricklin as my first car when I was 15. I drove it all the way through college. It broke down occasionally and the air door system was a constant PITA, but I still loved the car.
Ah, the memories