1974 Bricklin sv-1

Early cars suffered from overheating problems, which were quickly solved by a bigger radiator and more vents. The gullwing doors proved too heavy for the initial lifting system, and could trap passengers in the car when they failed. An upgraded compressed-air door system was developed, but SV-1s were sold with tiny broom handles as a failsafe, reflecting most owners’ solution to the problem.

The man behind the project was Malcolm Bricklin, who also founded Subaru of America in 1968. In 2013, Rolling Stone described him as "brash, bombastic, and pathologically prone to betting the farm on pie-in-the-sky automotive endeavors. His SV-1, despite looking like a mid-engine two-seater, squeezed an AMC 360-cid V-8 under the car’s sharply sloping hood. Later cars had a Ford 351 V-8 but only the first year offered a four-speed transmission. The bumpers at both ends of the car were massive urethane bolsters and the body was fiberglass, with color molded in. The doors were electro-hydraulically operated gullwings that weighed a hefty 100 pounds apiece. The Bricklin was introduced at $7,900, rising to $9,995 for the last models.

In a test by Car and Driver in May of 1975, the performance of the SV-1 was found to be comparable to the contemporary Corvette, the only other V8-powered 2-seat plastic-bodied American sports car at the time. The SV-1 also had the looks to back up the performance. The modern and angular looks were somewhat of a breath of fresh air compared to the sweeping lines of the Corvette.