I think we are all guilty of spending more money on an object to make it look like it’s worth more – punching above its weight in the looks department. Lots of enthusiasts take basic cars and put the top-of-the-range body kit or grills on them to make them look more expensive than they actually are. I know as a teenager I wanted my base model Fiat with 60hp to look like the hot 180hp version, but my skills or budget didn’t allow this. However, sometimes a company does just that – and becomes very successful for a short while. The Zimmer Motor Cars did just that – by taking Ford Mustangs and completely recladding and redoing the interior. So if you want a classic 1950s car, but with slightly more modern underpinnings then take a look at today’s listing, from Huntersville, New York and available on Craigslist here for just $15,000.
It really is another fascinating story about a small company that faded into obscurity in the 1980s, only for it to be reborn of late and only just going under in 2020. At their height, the Zimmer Motor Company had 125 employees with millions in revenue – but it was to all go wrong and bankruptcy was declared in 1988, before being reborn in 1996. So this is a quirky car from a time when anything went and was caught up in the same bubble. Our car today is the Golden Spirit from 1982, one of the early models based on the Ford Mustang.
Our car looks to be in great condition – just 44,000 miles on the clock and coated in good condition with black paint. However as with all fiberglass-bodied cars – although they don’t suffer from rust and look great from 10-ft away, when you get closer they are often blistered and peeling (ask me how I know – a 1999 Lotus Elise S1 project which suffers from all of the above!). However this overall looks good – clean chromework, clean paint and the interior although is a little tired, also looks to be well worn and loved and probably just needs a deep clean.
Unfortunately, there are no photos of the engine which is a 4.6l V8 unit, but with only 44k miles it should have plenty of miles left in it. We don’t know if this has been kept in a field, but the condition of the accessories would make it seem like it’s been inside for a while. Now this is such an oddball car, that it would take a dedicated fan of Zimmer’s cars to take a punt on this and buy for their collection. It could be perfect as a wedding car if in white, but our black model might not offer those same opportunities. So what would you do with this Golden Spirit – drive around and get lots of admiring looks or try and use it as an unusual wedding car – Other suggestions are welcome!
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