In a bid to make a mighty muscle car to take on American icons, Canadian engineer and entrepreneur Malcolm Bricklin once created the Bricklin SV-1, but nowadays, it’s almost completely forgotten.
Typically, muscle cars are as American as apple pie.
Think Dodge Charger, think Plymouth Barricuda, think Shelby GT500.
But Canada once had the Bricklin SV-1, and it might have been the best competitor to the American icons that we’ve ever seen.
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Remembering the Bricklin SV-1, a mighty muscle car inspired by the Batmobile and DeLorean
Back in the late 60s and 70s, the Ford Mustang, Pontiac GTO, and the Oldsmobile 442 were reigning supreme in the muscle car department.
To this day, these series are still running strong or have heavily influenced some of the American icons that are dominating the streets.
But, there was once a mighty muscle car from Canada: The Bricklin SV-1.
Made back in 1974, Bricklin enlisted the help of the Batmobile creator, Herb Grasse, to make a mean-looking and eponymous sports car that would make people smile: the Bricklin SV-1.
With the gullwing doors of a DeLorean and a 5.9-liter AMC V8 (or a 5.8-liter Ford Windsor V8 in later models), there was much to love about this beast.
Andrew Bone | Creative Commons
But the demise of the Bricklin SV-1 was quick, and just under 3,000 cars were built in the three years on the production line.
Muscle car fanatics credited quality control issues and supplier shortages to the downfall of the Bricklin SV-1
Despite being a mighty muscle car, it simply couldn’t keep up with the demands of the market, which was swinging much into the palms of Dodge and Pontiac.
Happy memories for Bricklin, if not for anyone else
Last year, Bricklin appeared on the American Muscle Car Museum YouTube channel, lamenting over his 50-year-old creation, claiming the Bricklin SV-1 was one of the happiest vehicles ever.
“People will come up admiringly and make you feel smart and proud and lucky,” he said of the Bricklin SV-1
“It’s nice for people to come up and tell you that they love what you got. It’s a good feeling. That is what this car gets them, and that’s why they never want to sell their car, that’s why they love their car.”
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