Bricklin SV-1

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Bricklin SV-1
Bricklin SV-1
Manufacturer: General Vehicle Corp.
Arrangement: Front-engine/Rear-wheel drive
Class: Sports car
Body Styles: 2-door coupé
Production: 1974–1976
Engine: 1974:AMC 360 in³ (5899 cm³) V8
1975–1976:V8 Ford 351 Windsor
Length: 178.6 in (454 cm)
Wheelbase: 96.0 in (244 cm)
Width: 67.6 in (172 cm)
Height: 48.15 in (123 cm) (doors closed)
Weight: 3470 lb (1574 kg)
Fuel Consumption 13 MPG (18L/100km) city
15–18 MPG (13-16L/100km) open road
This article is part of the automobile series.

The Bricklin SV-1 was a gullwing door sports car built in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada from 1974 until early 1976 for the US market. The car was the creation of Malcolm Bricklin, an American millionaire who had previously founded Subaru of America. Sales did not meet expectations, and only 2,854 cars were built before the company went into receivership, owing the government $23 million. It is believed approximately 1,500 Bricklin cars still exist.

The name stood for "safety vehicle one", an odd choice of focus in a sports car from the fuel-sensitive 1970s.[1] The Bricklin was designed for safety with an integrated roll cage, 5 mph bumpers, and side beams. The body was fiberglass with bonded acrylic in five "safety" colors: white, red, green, orange and suntan. The cars had no cigarette lighter or ashtray. Malcolm Bricklin believed it was unsafe to smoke and drive.

Power came from an AMC 360 in³ (5899 cm³) V8 for 1974. Later cars used Ford's 351 in³ (5752 cm³) Windsor V8. The suspension was independent in front with A-arms and coil springs, while the rear used leaf springs on a live axle. A high performance V8 was chosen so that in case of an impending accident, the power of the V8 was enough for the owner to power out away from the potential accident.

772 1974 cars were produced, 137 of which had four-speed manual transmissions. All 1975 and 1976 cars had automatic transmissions.

Among the factors that doomed the Bricklin were a high price, build quality problems especially with leaking gullwing doors, lack of confidence in its acrylic plastic bodyshell, and a poorly designed electro-pneumatic system for raising the heavy doors. The later De Lorean, which resembled the Bricklin in many ways, used a much more reliable torsion bar system to raise the doors.

Contents

[edit] In the Media

The Bricklin Story was a 30-minute 1974 film produced as a self-promotion piece. It aired nationally on CBC and was roundly panned by critics.

The Bricklin was featured at least once on Let's Make a Deal as one of the grand prizes.

A 1975 music album by Woodstock, New Brunswick DJ Charlie Russell, was entitled (with irony), The Bricklin and Other Sound Investments.

New Brunswick Premier Richard Hatfield's 1974 reelection campaign was nicknamed The Bricklin Election, possibly because of his government's financial support of the Bricklin company and because of Hatfield's use of an orange-colored Bricklin in his campaign. He blamed criticism of the car on the opposing Liberal government.

An episode of Chico and the Man debuted on NBC on February 14, 1975, guest-starring Sammy Davis Jr., who drives in to Ed Brown's garage in a Bricklin, complaining of engine trouble.

The most famous Bricklin SV-1 was made for the 1977 American film Demon Seed. It was driven by the main character portrayed by Julie Christie. Contrary to various sources, the car was not featured in a movie version of Harold Robbins' novel, The Betsy.

Another most famous Bricklin was also featured in two H.B. Halicki movies which are from 1982 and 1983 which are called The Junkman and Deadline Auto Theft, where Halicki drives the Bricklin during a car chase and crashes it into a river. The Bricklin later winds up in the Los Angeles Police Department impound yard.

A Bricklin was also featured as the car driven by pornographic actor John Holmes in the 1977 film Eruption.

The Bricklin was featured in the September, 1974 issue of Playboy Magazine.

A New Brunswick film company, Cojak Productions, is reviewing the Bricklin fiasco in a docu-drama. Malcolm Bricklin will be playing himself. Three Bricklins were discovered in Halifax and have been purchased for use in the film. Tentatively named Plan B: The Bricklin Legend, the film has been aired on RDI and Radio-Canada on April 15, 2006.

History Television produced a documentary entitled Premier, Promoter & Their Car for its Turning Points of History series. The documentary explores the political fiasco that surrounded the Bricklin.

[edit] Books

[edit] Out of Print

[edit] Problems

  1. The gull-wing doors weighed 45 kilograms each. They also leaked.
  2. Electrical issues
  3. Headlights often refused to pop up
  4. The acrylic body was subject to cracks and warping
  5. A high sticker price
  6. Locked Out Easily

[edit] Bricklin and Enthusiasts

  • Due to the Ford engine, a Ford engined Bricklin can be counted by purists as being an "unofficial" Ford. Bricklin owners are openly welcomed into Ford classic car shows.
  • There is only a couple of Bricklins in the Southern hemisphere. One of note is resident in Christchurch, New Zealand.
  • A red Bricklin is on show as part of the Haynes International Motor Museum collection in Sparkford, Somerset in England.
  • An orange Bricklin is on show as part of the permanent collection of the Western Development Museum's location in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan.

[edit] Filmography

[edit] Commemorating the Bricklin

  • As part of a series commemorating Historic Land Vehicles, Canada issued the Bricklin Stamp on June 8, 1996. It had a face value of 45¢.
  • In June, 2003 the Canadian mint issued a $20 sterling silver Bricklin coin with selective gold plating.
  • Both the Bricklin coin and the Bricklin stamp enjoyed greater success than the car itself, selling out quickly.

[edit] Bricklin Marketing

[edit] 1974

1974 Bricklin Brochure

1974 Bricklin Poster - Available in each of the five original Bricklin colors

[edit] 1975

1975 Bricklin Brochure - 16 pages

1975 Bricklin Poster - featured a white Bricklin

[edit] References

  1. ^ 1974 Sales literature
  2. ^ Bricklin in Fast Company
  3. ^ Bricklin in Junkman
  4. ^ Bricklin in Deadline Autotheft
  5. ^ Bricklin in Smokey and the Bandit Part 3

[edit] See also

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