Johnson Motorcar Corporation was a short-lived venture in the neo-classic market, founded in 1981 by Bruce and Norman Johnson, the latter of whom had been involved in the automobile industry his entire life. His vision here was to produce a touring car inspired by 1930s styling, but with the dependability of a more modern vehicle. One of their creations was the Johnson Phantom, based on the General Motors F-Body platform, with around 60 units believed to have been built. This 1989 model here on Facebook Marketplace appears well-preserved, and the owner has already reduced the asking price from $24,500 to $22,500, so it sounds like he may be motivated to sell. This oddity is located in Fortville, Indiana, and we’d like to express our gratitude to reader Sam61 for spotting it and sending in the tip!
The only other automobile produced by Johnson Motors was the Presidential Rumble Seat Roadster, of which 50 are thought to have been built, so both cars are quite uncommon to find in the marketplace. Although the company also sold kits to the public, the seller says his Phantom was assembled by Johson, starting out as a new Pontiac Firebird. The doors, windshield, and part of the roof are mostly F-Body, and it’s great to see that this one retains the T-Tops. Most of the other panels are exclusive to the Phantom, and there are some fun features everywhere you look, including four air horns up front, fenders that look like they contain spare tires, and a luggage rack on the small trunk lid.
Thankfully, Johnson chose the largest engine available in the Firebird in ’89 for this one: a 350-cubic-inch V8 with a factory horsepower rating of 235. That may not sound like a lot by today’s standards, but for the late eighties, it wasn’t a bad number at all. The seller says his Phantom has traveled 75,000 miles and still runs great, with the engine bay appearing tidy and in good order. This one also features an automatic transmission, and the owner reports that everything on the car is still working properly.
Not as many photos of the inside are provided as there are of the exterior, and we don’t get to see the dashboard at all. However, the front buckets have “Phantom” stitched into the material, and the interior appears clean and in satisfactory condition. I get that neo-classics aren’t for everyone, but for those who appreciate them, this one seems like a guaranteed attention-getter and a fun car to drive, plus its price is likely within reach of most potential buyers. Is this 1989 Johnson Phantom one you’d consider adding to your fleet?
You’d have to wear a tuxedo to cars and coffee if you owned this.
Yeah, but that tux would have to be either baby blue or orange.
I thought i knew the names of all the neoclassics, but this is one I’ve never heard of. Looks quite a bit like a Tiffany… even the taillights. It is hard to distinguish that it was once a Firebird, though, as the Cougar ancestry is quite evident in a Tiffany.
As always with these vehicles… I’d love to drive it, but ownership is another thing entirely
…..Yuck !!!! ….🤢🤢🤮🤮🤮
No kidding, there used to several similar cars running around the area where I lived. They didn’t get any respect from the plebs or the wealthy. I haven’t seen one on the road in decades and thought they all met their demise until they started being featured on this site.
Steve R