The Zimmer Golden Spirit is perhaps one of the most recognizable vehicles on the road today. Seeing those soulful headlights staring out from an expansive garage in Joshua, Texas, can give one the chills. Despite its unusual styling in an era that had quickly moved past the bodacious 50s and 60s, Zimmer’s lineup proved popular with a wide range of consumers but in particular with the movie star set. Find this lonesome example here on eBay with a $9,500 Buy-It-Now.
Believe it or not, the Florida-based manufacturer that was the original builder of the Zimmer lineup did fairly well in its prime. The company utilized a Mercury Cougar chassis and drivetrain to build the Golden Spirit, and employed close to 200 workers to assemble the art-deco-inspired vehicles. This particular example was laid up for a dashboard replacement job that never commenced; today, the dashboard has been removed but the replacement dash (included in the sale) has not been fitted. The Zimmer will come without keys or a title, which makes you wonder what transpired in the last six years to have it end up in this state.
Wow – I *dig* those power Recaro seats. Thickly bolstered buckets like these fetch a fair price on craigslist and this pair looks reasonably complete. I can’t find any information to confirm if they were original equipment or if a later owner swapped in the European-style buckets. That’s what’s always amazed me about the Zimmers – they weren’t just bought by retirees living in Palm Beach. They were seen as symbols of excess and wealth, and customization was never out of the question. The Recaros combined with some other tweaks makes this Zimmer’s history even more intriguing.
The seller claims he cannot gain enough access to see if the Zimmer’s motor will turn by hand. He notes that a Holley carb and MSD ignition were found with the Zimmer, and given the wide availability of parts for what is otherwise a Cougar under the hood, I’m sure any number of hop-up components will work. Just over 1,500 Golden Spirits were made during the Zimmer’s production run, making them a rare find in any condition today. If this one truly has been laid up for less than a decade, it shouldn’t require much to bring it back to life.
Cruella DeVille Rides Again!
She should have kept going.
so sad to see this, undeserving owner
Ugly opulence.
I love that Zimmer re-drew Ford’s little “trouble indicator” display on the console to show a Golden Spirit silhouette instead of the original Cougar.
How many spare tires does this have?
If you count the spare hanging on the underside and one in the backseat, there appear to be 5. Fix-a-flat wasn’t considered ‘opulant’ in the 80’s.
Including the driver’s personal supply, probably about ten.
Love these cars ! I thought this car was essentially a Ford Mustang. So replacing a dash shouldn’t be a problem. Other than the Zimmer-only trim, parts should be readily available . . .
Why would anybody install VW Beetle trafficator / turn signals on such a grandiose car?
Jeezum crow! Put on your best Parisian nightsuit, splash on some Hai Karate and cruise the bus depot for girls to add to your stable!
Oh crap! Parisian nightsuit! I almost forgot that one:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_kMkBcoxTxo
Bloated, pretentious opulence. My dead body would not be found in this 21 gun salute to bad taste. Ugh….
How would you like to be a manufacturer and get a call saying “I need to buy 6,000 of your horns”… After the call….”Hey Bob, good thing we didn’t toss all those ol’ horns away. We may need that one back off your Eldorado convertible to finish this order. Wish we could get rid of our steer horns now…”
I’d rather have a Stutz Bearcat, an early 70’s based on a Grand Prix with the mink -lined trunk :-) At least Elvis had one of those
I worked there for 3 years back in the early 80’s and it was a great time they were built on the Mustang not a Cougar that was a Tiffinany. I was only 20 at the time and got to travel doing warranty repairs on the paint which was lacquer back then. They were over the top but we had a good following of people like Roy Clark and George Foreman to name a few gaudy yes but it was the 80’s you had to be there.
I also worked there for about a year. I remember it being a mustang base. Also had a car based on the Fiero
Zimmer Quicksilver
Hello, Would you happen to know where I might be able to find some of the parts for an 1983 Zimmer Golden Spirit?
I need one of the Hubcaps with the Emblem & one of the Smaller Front Lights? Your assistance with this would be Greatly Appreciated!
Yuck
Cool but no total is a major issue. Was this a stolen car?