The
Bricklin SV-1 was a sports car brought to market by Malcom
Bricklin, an American Millionaire who also Founded Subaru
of America.
The name SV-1 stood for Safety Vehicle - One, and as both
a business and a sports car it was a failure. The production
run which ran from 1974 to early 1976 yielded just 2,854 cars,
many of which are still in operation thanks to a dedicated
group of owners and enthusiasts.
The two-seat Bricklin SV-1 consisted of a steel chassis and
a acrylic sheet/ fibre-glass body. Yet despite Bricklins desire
for a safe sports car he chose to endow the SV-1 with gull-wing
doors. Gull-wing doors are unsafe in a rollover accident because
they trap the occupants inside.
Powering the Bricklin SV-1 is a V8 engine, the first cars
were given units produced by AMC, later cars were fitted with
Ford V8 Windsor engines. Neither engine provided the performance
which had originally been claimed.
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