It’s not like every collector has to eventually own a Bricklin, the interesting-looking coupe created from the fertile imagination of the early importer of Subarus for US sale, Malcolm Bricklin. But if your ambition is to own some sort of automotive oddball (and that word is not meant as a criticism), a stylish small sports car that is decently powered with a V8 engine, and even gull wing doors, then the 1974 Bricklin SV-1 shown here on ebay might be worth looking over. It’s in Blue Ridge, GA, in case you want to do that looking firsthand. You can buy it for $13,900, or you can make an offer.
Owning a Bricklin, you’ll certainly be in select company, with only 2834 made. This one is number 639, rendered in attractive red body panels made up of acrylic resin bonded to fiberglass. Buying this, you’ll have something that often doesn’t come with a collector car—lots of documentation, including, as the ad says, “title, books, and a whole folder full of paperwork.” Fun! It makes me wonder what’s been going on with this car, described as a “Barn Find” and not driven much. The 13,000 miles that the odo shows are apparently original. The engine is the relatively powerful but easy to maintain AMC 360-CID V8. So it’s not a Ferrari, but neither is it going to drain your wallet like one of those might do.
On the other hand, the quality control of the manufacturing process for the Bricklins doesn’t exactly meet that of an Italian exotic. Search “Bricklin quality control” to see stories like this one about the problems that were experienced with the body panels during manufacturing, amongst other aspects of this quirky little car. If you still decide a Bricklin is for you, note that this one is for sale via an ad, so there’s no particular closing date to keep in mind. It’s worth observing on the urgency scale, also, that this car was advertised prior to this go and didn’t sell at a higher price. Anyway, the kind of money being asked—even if you did pay the asking price—doesn’t seem daunting in a day when the bottom end of the collector market is no longer a few thousand bucks.
Perhaps reassuring, there’s a frank and detailed statement from the seller, in which we learn, amongst other things, that the car does run and drive, not perfectly, mind you, but “a good start.” I don’t know about you, but I like the sincerity this exhibits, and I like this car. So since the seller invites an offer, why not give it a go? How low will you start that process moving?
I owned a red 75 for a few years, yes the build quality was rough. The 74’s are more rare, this does look like a fair deal, a manual shift is even more rare. These are not a exotic sports car. Might do better on BaT.
Hi Howie, there were only a handful of Safety Red 1974 Bricklins with 4 speed manual transmissions. From 1976 until almost 1980 I worked at a shop in Chester New Jersey that only worked on them. Build quality? Haha once I found a ball peen hammer sandwiched between the cars body and huge steel tube chassis. And if it rained outside you were almost sure to get wet inside the car! Hydraulic doors were terrible, air doors was the way to go.
Yes i had the air doors, with the air tank mounted in the rear bumper. Here on the west coast the place to go was called Tanners, they did everything on them and sold a really neat center console for them.
Howie, Did Terry Tanner supply the air door kit? Terry was a good guy and actually worked on the original car from it’s inception along with Glen Nutting and Herb Grasse..
Yes he had and installed the air door systems, he did my car. That was many, many years ago and even then it was around $1,000. There was a big Bricklin club at that time here on the west coast.
I worked at a Buick dealership in the 1980s and 1990s. We had a 2-door Regal in for a clunk and rattle in the rear seat area. The repair tech found an empty wine bottle in behind the trim panel below the side window. Must have been a last minute unwanted option added during the assembly process.
This car is an automatic transmission. I worked at a Bricklin dealer and have a couple of stories that I have related here before. Definitely quality challenged and most have holes drilled in the floor so that intruding water can escape. And I don’t remember a manual transmission as an option. That being said if I ran across a cheap one. I would probably buy it just to play with it. It would make (after some serious work) an interesting track day car.
4 speeds were only in 1974 models.
If you want a hoot? Watch the Vice Grip Garage’s video of Derrick trying to save an abused Bricklin.
From the man who brought us the Yugo and Subaru 360.
And a race track, I think Fast Track?
Lol,my brother lives in Blue Ridge Ga.A beautiful part of NW Ga.
To bad it does not have a manual trans. This one is in pretty good shape. Plates are dated 2005. Malcolm Bricklin was ahead of his time getting Subaru here before these cars. They were a what I have heard a flop but if you don’t try you will never know. By the way Malcolm Bricklin turns 87 years old March 9.
”Oddball”? Who are you calling an oddball?
I’d take one of these over a De lorean,,at least it has a V8 and the AMC engines were good engines.
Yes the first year 74’s had the AMC’s, but after that all had Ford engines. Being that i owned one, i would take a slow moving DeLorean over a Bricklin.
If anyone is interested in this car and it doesn’t work out, at least you got to enjoy Blue Ridge – beautiful place and reminds me a bit of home – NH.
A friend`s family had an AMC dealership, and he almost got a Bricklin but was kind of outvoted by rest of family members who wanted it sold. It`s an interesting car just to have fun with–not make money on. I have a box full of original brochures with a large foldout poster in red, green and orange. I gave the only white one to a guy who has a white Bricklin. Anyone interested?
Sure I like brochures,, where you at?
South of Buffalo NY area. Would you like one of each color. I don`t have red–have green, orange and suntan. Thay are pretty cool. The poster measures 23.5 x 23.5 inches. PM me if you want.
Buffalo NY area