SPECS
YEAR
MAKE
MODEL
TRANSMISSION
ENGINE SIZE
MILES
1974
bricklin
sv-1
3 speed automatic
5.9l amc v8
4,125
EXTERIOR
INTERIOR
TITLE
CONSIGMENT
LOCATION
PRICE
safety orange
brown
clean
yes
pompano beach, FL
highlights
The Bricklin SV-1 is a two-seat sports car built from 1974 to late 1975.The car is known for its gull-wing doors and composite bodywork of color-impregnated acrylic resin bonded to fiberglass, meaning no paint. Bricklins were assembled in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada. The name SV-1 is an abbreviation of "safety vehicle one.” To promote the car's safety features the company touted such features as its integrated roll over structure and energy-absorbing bumpers.
features
This Safety Orange Bricklin SV-1 is a single owner car and is one of 780 built in 1974. This car features exceptionally low miles and is 100% original. A new hydraulic pump for the gullwing doors was recently installed.
Despite Bricklin's troubled story, the marque has a dedicated and loyal following, and several parts suppliers offer door conversion kits and body parts. The car’s profile is quite striking and has an aggressive look to it, and if you look closely the lines sort of resemble a Datsun 240 and 260 Z.
Cost overruns and quality control problems with the inexperienced workforce led to eventual bankruptcy. The first Bricklins were built in 1974, and the factory shut down in late 1975, with a few 1976 models built from leftover parts.
Production of the SV-1 ended with just under 3,000 cars built. An estimated 1,700 Bricklins were surviving as of 2012. The name SV-1 is an abbreviation of “safety vehicle one” which promotes the car’s safety. The cars are built on a perimeter chassis with tubular steel cage around the passenger compartment to provide a safe cocoon for occupants. Additional features of the car include an integrated roll cage and energy absorbing bumpers.
heritage
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.
condition
report
b
interior
a-
Clean overall. Gauges and instruments function as they should. Stepping into the Bricklin is like stepping back in time and offers a glimpse of what was cool in the automotive world in 1974.
exterior
b-/c+
Generally a clean car without any substantial issues but as a limited production vehicle it may not have been engineered to age well.
mechanical
b-
Drives well but some underbody corrosion lowers the score.
photographer's notes
- Body panels are made of resin and as the car aged the tone of orange is not consistent throughout. The front is more saturated and as you progress to the back it moves to a lighter shade. (image 408)
- (image 370) you can see the rear deck lid has a slight misalignment as the result of the plastic deforming from age over the years.
- (image 381, 382, 424, 504, 613, 659) some evidence of corrosion
- (image 388) body material appears to be cracking from age
- The interior is in great shape. Everything seems to be well put together and there are no issues with the interior
- Door actuators work perfectly
- Engine bay is very original
- Shifted smoothly, cranked right up and drove well. Felt kind of like an old American V8 mated to a couch
- (image 591) R headlight covers appear to be lifting slightly. (image 603 and 605 chip on headlight cover) Also a chip is noticed (image 611).