1975 Bricklin SV1 Gull Wing Saftey Vehicle Only 12,825 Miles "One
of the Best"
This is a remarkable example of a low production "Saftey Vehicle"
introduced in the Mid 70's. It was often (favorably) compared to
the Corvette in Magazines such as Car and Driver (May 1975). Our
seller has owned this "Saftey Red" Bricklin #987 for twenty years.
He has invested in important updates over the years to make this an
excellent opportunity for someone looking for a "turn-key" Bricklin
that can be shown with pride and driven dependably. An important
update included the "Air-Door" conversion, eliminating the
problematic electro-hydraulic system for opening and closing. If
you are familiar with the Bricklin, you will appreciate the fit and
finish of this example, it is one of the best. The interior seating
area has been upgraded and included is a redesigned console.
Decoding the VIN indicates that it came from the factory as a Tan
car indicated by the 4th digit in the VIN. It was the 206th
Bricklin built in 1975. The one deficiency listed by our seller is
"one of the rear speakers for the stereo system is not working".
With less than 3,000 produced between 1974 and 1975, this "Gull
Winged" rare bird is worth a close look.
VIN: 00051Bx5S000987
Technical Features From Wikipedia: The SV-1 was a two-door,
two-seat hatchback with gull-wing doors, hidden headlamps, and a
front-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout. Its bodywork was a composite
material made up of acrylic resin bonded to a fiberglass substrate.
The acrylic was impregnated with the body's color, which had the
potential to reduce costs, as it eliminated the need for the
factory to paint the cars in a separate step. The five "Safety"
colors offered were one of the few options buyers had.30 #fn30
The doors, which weighed 90 lb (40.8 kg) each, were raised by
hydraulic cylinders controlled by switches in the interior and took
up to 12 seconds to open or close.2 #fn27 #fn7 The system was
sensitive to the condition of the car's battery, as well as being
prone to breakdown. The system used a single pump and had no door
interlock, so opening one door at the same time as closing the
other had the potential to burn out the pump motor.27 #fn27
The Bricklin's chassis was a steel perimeter frame with an
integrated roll-over structure.31 #fn31 The front and rear bumpers
were designed to absorb the force of a 5 mph (8 km/h) impact.
The front suspension used A-arms and coil springs and was made up
of parts shared with a variety of existing AMC models. At the rear
was a Hotchkiss system of leaf springs on a live axle.
Braking was by power-assisted 11 in (279 mm) disks in front and 10
in (254 mm) drums in back. Kelsey-Hayes provided the brake
components for Bricklins built from 1974 to early 1975, after which
the car used parts from Bendix.32 #fn32
Production Bricklins were powered by one of two OHV V8 engines,
depending on the year of manufacture. Cars built in 1974 received a
360 cu in (5,899 cc) AMC V8 from American Motors. With a single
four-barrel carburetor this engine produced 220 hp (164.1 kW) and
315 ft-lb (427.1 N�m) of torque.33 #fn33 Transmission options for
the year were a 3-speed Torque Command automatic (AMC's rebranded
TorqueFlite 727) or a BorgWarner T-10 4-speed manual. Of the 772
cars built in 1974, 137 received the manual. Cars built in 1975
mounted a 351 cu in (5,752 cc) Windsor V8 from Ford, a change that
required an extensive redesign of the car's subframe.10 #fn10:89
With a single two-barrel carburetor this later engine produced 175
hp (130.5 kW) and 286 ft-lb (387.8 N�m) of torque.34 #fn34 As Ford
had no manual transmission EPA certified for the 351W engine,
transmission options were limited to the Ford FMX 3-speed
automatic.
The cars had no cigarette lighters or ashtrays.35 #fn3536 #fn36
There was also no provision for a spare tire.
Call us for more details or come see it at our Detroit location!
ClassicAuto Showplace, LTD. 2135 Stephenson Hwy. Troy, MI, 48083.
We are just south of I-75 at the Rochester Rd Exit. Phone: (248)
589-2700. Email:
[email protected]. See additional
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