Poetic license is a wonderful thing. The seller of this 1983 Bremen Sebring described it as looking like a miniature Corvette. I guess that he’s right to a point. Mind you, it does require you to squint a bit. Or perhaps you need to cross your eyes! Regardless, this is a car that offers its next owner exotic looks at a bargain-basement price. Adding to its attraction is that it derives its underpinnings from the humble Beetle. That means that parts are plentiful and affordable, and maintenance is a breeze. I have to say a big thank you to Barn Finder Chuck F for referring the Sebring to us. It is located in Fort Washington, Maryland, and has been listed for sale here on Facebook. You will struggle to find a more exotic looking car for the asking price of $3,500.

The Bremen Sebring’s bloodline can be traced back to the UK in the early 1970s, where it was sold as the Nova. From there, the car was manufactured in several countries, including in Australia as the Purvis Eureka. When it found its way to the US, there was a problem using the “Nova” name, as the rights for this were owned by some upstart company called General Motors. Thus, it became the Sterling, and after some later upgrades, it became the Sebring. These upgrades included improvements to the bumpers, along with pop-up headlights. In keeping with its exotic looks, the Sebring comes with a unique entry system. We’re used to cars being described as 2-door or 4-door, but what would you call this? Could it be mono-door, or perhaps no-door? The entire roof section, windshield, side glass, and cockpit sides raise on hydraulic rams to allow entry and exit. This is great in theory, but it does have a few drawbacks. Occupants need to slide in and out of the vehicle over some wide sills, and for those of us with a few birthdays under our belts, this is not going to be an elegant or dignified sight! The paint on this one is looking tired, but thanks to the fact that the body is a one-piece fiberglass component, rust is not an issue. The same might not be true below decks because under all of that fiberglass is a garden-variety VW Beetle frame. These can be prone to rust, so that is one area that will need checking. However, these can be easy to repair, and if a complete frame replacement is required, they can be found relatively cheaply. All of the exterior fittings and trim pieces are present, and the unique glass looks to be in good condition.

Being a kit car based on the humble Beetle, the interior’s quality is heavily dependent on the skills of the person who builds the car. That means that they can be a hit-or-miss proposition, and this one is quite typical. It probably presented reasonably well initially, but time hasn’t been kind to the trim. The sports seats are showing their age, as is the carpet and the dash. It will take some work to return it to its best, but it is still possible to find suppliers who stock the correct carpet in a range of colors. I have seen one Sebring fitted with leather power seats from a Fox-Body Mustang. It also featured some nice VDO gauges and a simulated carbon-fiber dash fascia. It sounds odd, but the effect was quite professional. However, the buyer will have to think carefully before committing to trim materials. The windows on a Sebring don’t open very far, and airflow can hover uncomfortably in that region somewhere between not very much and none at all. In hotter climes, that can make leather and vinyl seat upholstery act like glue on human flesh, which can lead to some unpleasant experiences. However, it is possible to equip a Sebring with air conditioning, which could be worth considering.

The Sebring body was made to be dropped onto a Beetle chassis and drivetrain with minimal effort, although there have been some owners that have pushed the boundaries with their builds. I have heard of these fitted with a V6, although a Wankel rotary can offer fantastic bang-for-your-buck. This one features the air-cooled flat-four VW unit, bolted to a standard 4-speed manual transmission. It isn’t clear whether the engine runs or even turns freely, so that would be a question worth asking. As humble as it may all be, it still offers performance potential if the Beetle drivetrain is retained. These little engines can be made to produce some impressive power levels relatively cheaply. The fiberglass Sebring body is lighter than the donor car’s original steel, and the center of gravity is also lower. That means that the Sebring should offer better performance and handling than a similarly equipped Beetle, which is an intriguing prospect.

The Bremen Sebring might not offer quite the cachet of a Ferrari, a Lamborghini, or a Corvette, but it also isn’t going to cost as much to buy or maintain. That is what makes these such a great little car because they can make the owner feel like a million dollars without the need to spend a million dollars. They also offer their owners scope to let their imagination run wild because they aren’t dealing with a numbers-matching classic with a high potential value. If you want to look and feel like a king without having to pay a king’s ransom, perhaps this Bremen Sebring is the affordable project that you’ve been looking for.