Vector Supercars

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Vector Aeromotive Corporation
Type	Private
Founded	1971
Headquarters	Wilmington, California
Key people	Gerald Wiegert Chairman & CEO
Industry	Automotive
Products	The Vector Vector W2 Vector W8 Vector WX-3 Vector WX-3R Vector M12 Vector SRV8
Revenue	unknown
Website	www.vectorsupercars.com

Vector Aeromotive Corporation was an automobile manufacturer originally based in California, but later moved to Florida. Its history can be traced to "Vehicle Design Force" which was founded in 1971 by Gerald Wiegert. Vehicle production began in 1989 and ceased in the 1990s. The company was recently revived (as Vector Motors Corporation), but Wiegert has currently not produced another car. Vector is credited as America's first attempt to compete with European exotic car manufacturers like Ferrari, Lamborghini, and Lotus.

Contents 1 Origin 2 Gerald Wiegert 2.1 The Vector W2 2.2 Vector W8 2.3 Avtech WX-3 3 Megatech 3.1 The Vector M12 3.2 Vector SRV8 4 Today 4.1 The next Vector 5 Notes 6 External links

[edit] Origin

In 1971, Gerald Wiegert, fresh from college, founded a design house called "Vehicle Design Force",^[1] and teamed up with Lee Brown to create a new car called The Vector. The Vector was said to have various powerplants including a DOHC Porsche engine and it would only cost US$10,000.^[2] None of these plans came to fruition though, and while Wiegert planned production, it never happened. All that came of The Vector was an empty shell that was displayed at the Los Angeles Auto Show.^[3] Lee Brown left the design team shortly thereafter, and after The Vector was featured on the cover of Motor Trend magazine in 1972.^[4] Wiegert renamed Vehicle Design Force to Vector Aeromotive after work began on a new project, the Vector W2.

[edit] Gerald Wiegert

[edit] The Vector W2

In 1978, Wiegert created another car, called the W2. Like the first car, it was immobile at the time of its show debut, but in 1979, he got the car running.^[5] During its lifespan, it got over 100,000 miles on its odometer, the most of any concept yet.^[6]

The W2 was well loved by many magazines, and it was extensively tested by Motor Trend magazine and the British automotive television program Top Gear. However, Top Gear was ordered to not perform a top speed test on it, even though Vector claimed it was capable of 230 mph.^[7]

AutoWeek published an article comparing Wiegert to Peter Pan and compared the Vector headquarters to Neverland.^[8]

[edit] Vector W8

In 1989, Wiegert's company, now known as the Vector Aeromotive Corporation, began production of the W8 (an evolution of the W2). Financial backing came from public stock offerings and various lawsuits including suits against the Goodyear Tire Company (trademarket infringement with the Vector brand of tires) and Vantage cigarettes.^[9]The W8 was basically a reengineered W2, of which 2 prototypes were made (only one running).

One particular black W8 was sold to famous tennis player Andre Agassi. Since Vectors were hand built, it took time to build one, but Agassi demanded that the company deliver his W8 regardless.^[10][11]

They delivered the car as promised. They told him that he could display it, but warned him not to drive it until the final work was completed. He ignored the warning, though, and drove it hard around his yard. As a result, the car's 600+ hp engine backfired, causing the destruction of the exhaust system and the rear interior.^[12]

He complained to Vector Aeromotive, causing Wiegert to give a US$455,000 refund to Agassi so he could avoid any negative publicity from the media. This attempt failed, however.

Repairs on Agassi's W8 were finished and the car was sold again. A total of 17 Vector W8 cars were built for public sale.^[13]

The Vector W8 did manage a brief foray into the spotlight of the film-going general public when a red version of the car was used in the 1993 film Rising Sun, driven by a Japanese businessman.

[edit] Avtech WX-3

Wiegert displayed his next version of the Vector at the Geneva Auto Show in 1993. The Avtech WX-3 coupe, along with a roadster version, the Avtech WX-3R, was a further evolution of the W8 design. Only the 2 WX-3 prototypes were built, a coupe and a roadster. The WX-3 was planned to have up to 1,000 hp,^[14] but the prototypes were shown with the same Chevrolet engine as the W8.^[15] When the WX-3 debuted in 1993, MegaTech, an Indonesian company, acquired a controlling interest in Vector. After Wiegert returned from the Geneva show, the Vector board asked Wiegert to relinquish control of the company and become the company's designer. He refused, and caused a lockdown on the Vector headquarters.^[16] He was later fired from Vector Aeromotive.^[17] The WX-3 was originally painted silver, but when Megatech bought Vector, it was repainted blue.^[18]

[edit] Megatech

[edit] The Vector M12

MegaTech moved Vector from the Wiegert-owned building in Wilmington, California, to Jacksonville, Florida, where the company could share office space with fellow MegaTech-owned automaker Automobili Lamborghini.

The new Vector Aeromotive Corporation created a car called the Vector M12, which was loosely based on the WX-3 but powered by a version of the Lamborghini Diablo V12 engine. Consequently, some work on the M12 was handled by Lamborghini. This, inevitably, resulted in the American formula being lost.^[19]

Production of the M12 began in 1995 in Jacksonville, Florida and the car was introduced at the 1996 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, where two cars were on display. Production was shuttered late in 1996 when the $189,000 cars were not selling at their expected rate. Production resumed after MegaTech sold off Lamborghini (to Audi) and Vector (to management). By early 1999, only 14 M12s were produced due to a lack of engines from Lamborghini. Vector's contract for engines was not fulfilled primarily due to Vector's inability to pay Lamborghini.^[20] It was alleged that Hutomo "Tommy" Suharto, son of Indonesian strongman General Suharto and a MegaTech principal, illegally embezzled from the company for his own personal gain.^[21]

Financial troubles within Vector were not helped by continued negative press coverage including Jeremy Clarkson of Top Gear calling the M12 the worst car ever made.^[22]

[edit] Vector SRV8

Vector reduced the cost of the M12 and created the SRV8. This new model had a Corvette engine and a Porsche transaxle.^[23] Within days of the SRV8's public introduction, the company shut its doors, leaving only the one prototype ever built.

It should be noted that, according to one story, Lamborghini took a W8 for payment for the engines,^[24] but since it was property of Wiegert, he took the case to court. He won it back, yet Lamborghini, now owned by Volkswagen, never gave the car back.^[25]

[edit] Today

After the remains of Vector Aeromotive were sold to American Aeromotive, Wiegert took back the assets of Vector and changed the company name from Avtech Motors to Vector Supercars, then finally to Vector Motors. Neither Wiegert nor American Aeromotive have produced cars, so it is unclear whether there will ever be another Vector produced.^[26]

[edit] The next Vector

There have been rumors about Wiegert developing a new car to bring Vector back to life, supposed to be called the WX-10.^[27] It is said to be a mix of the WX-3 and a Toyota Supra, with a little bit of Corvette^[28] mixed in. This has not been proven though, while there are stories of fans who saw it when they visited Wiegert at the Vector Supercars headquarters.^[29]

At the Concourso Italiano on August 18th, 2006 Gerald Wiegert showed up in the V-8 Avtech prototype with a friend. He confirmed he is currently working on another supercar.

[edit] Notes

^  Tv.com biography of Gerald Wiegert
^  Aeromotive club (through Internet Archive)
^  the vectorFILES
^  Out of the Shadows - Article by Paul Garson from the August 2004 issue of Automobile Magazine.
^  Vector, another fantasy flop - Michael Sheehan.
^  Bumpy Road for the American Supercar: The Story of the Vector - Article by Sam Fiorani from the August 1998 issue of Collectible Automobile.

[edit] External links

• Vector Supercars
• Vector Aeromotive Club