It's believed to be fewer than 1,500 Sterlings and Sebrings ever
built by Al Hildebrand. He purchased Bremen motors out of Indiana
and designed the Sebring off the Volkswagen Beetle chassis with
Lamborghini styling. The timeless style has allowed these to remain
a classic sought after and it is believed that there are less than
500 examples remaining. These were commonly fitted with a
Volkswagen drivetrain, but rumor has it that they were available
with Chevy, Ford, and Buick small block engines. It was said if you
ordered it, they would find a way to make it fit! These cars are
lightweight and nimble and a total blast to drive!
EXTERIOR: The exterior is finished in Butternut Yellow. From the
side these Sterlings strikingly have similar appearances to that of
a mid 80's Lamborghini. Although not quite as elegant, they are
just as fun to drive. The Sterling features a solid rigid
fiberglass one piece body. It's thicker than Corvettes of that same
era and has a very low center of gravity. The paint overall is in
good shape. The rear wing on the back makes this supposedly 1 of 3
prototype Sterling Type S with a wing. The paint is cracking along
the base of the wing. The wheels are aluminum and show signs of
corrosion, however the tires were replaced in 2020 and have few
miles on them. The headlights are a pop-up style, similar to a
Corvette. This was one of the upgrades made to the "Sterlings"
before they became known as "Sebrings." This vehicle even has fog
lights and a giant single windshield wiper. The hatch lid is run
off an electric motor and goes up and down by a key fob. The edging
of the windshield is delaminating in between the glass slightly but
does not affect anything. The weather stripping is still in great
shape as well as the clarity of the glass itself.
INTERIOR: The interior is finished in the same gloss yellow as the
exterior and has brown carpeting with brown leather sport bucket
seats. The leather seats are in great shape with a small blemish to
the passenger lower portion that has been patched. The dash is
retro and filled with all sorts of gauges. This Sebring is equipped
with heat, air conditioning, a modern stereo system with single din
radio. It has Bluetooth and AM/FM radio as well. In the center of
the floor is the Volkswagen shifter with T handle. The side windows
on the main hatch do push open slightly to circulate fresh air
through the cabin. When you're sitting in the cockpit with the top
closed and driving it feels like you're in a spaceship!
ENGINE COMPARTMENT: The engine is in the rear making this a mid
engine vehicle. Under the hood is the 2.0L high output flat 4
engine pushing 175 HP it's mated to a 4 speed manual transmission
with a HD stage 1 clutch. The engine fits nicely in the bay and
leaves plenty of space to work and maintain if needed. There's a
Derale oil cooler that's been added as well.
TRUNK COMPARTMENT: The trunk is located in the front, otherwise
known as a "frunk." It's finished in the same yellow color as the
rest of the car. It's not glossed over. The trunk lid swings open,
similar to the Corvette and Viper hoods. Inside is a reasonable
amount of storage space. The only components in there are a strut
brace towards the top giving it that extra rigid stability and a
fluid reservoir for the power top motor.
UNDERSIDE: Underside has the original undercoating in good shape.
This particular Sebring was actually built out of the Coachworks
factory and was not assembled at home as a kit car. It's based on a
VW chassis with VW drivetrain. It has independent suspension, disc
brakes, and a manual steering rack. The dual exhaust comes right
off the engine into 4 polished chrome tips all in great shape!
A significant amount of effort goes into fact checking. What I am
offering is my professional impression of the vehicle. Our salesmen
are happy to assist with descriptions and making sure your
questions are answered. One great suggestion is letting us do a
walk around video that explains the car's condition in detail.
**These cars are displayed in a museum. If interested in a
particular car make an appointment with a salesman to see that car.
Without an appointment there is an admission fee to enter the
showroom. If you buy a car, your admission will be refunded and you
will be given a 1 year membership.
815 385 3644 9-5 central
[email protected] Answered ASAP
2.0L - 175 HP Engine
4spd manual trans
Stereo with bluetooth
AM/FM radio
Air conditioning
Heat
Power Top
Tilt steering
Slide bracket seats
Dual Exhaust
Independent suspension
