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Tesla Rival? 1980 Bradley GTE II Electric

I have a secret soft spot for Kit Cars and unusual cars which never really make it into popular culture. One such company was Bradley, which created cars for just 11 years, from 1979 to 1980. What is even more interesting is that this is an electric kit car from the late 1970s, and was meant for electric propulsion. Now, this does need a lot of work – in fact, it needs building from the start but comes with a lot of parts, including the all-important VW chassis. Should this one be of interest to you, visit the link here on Barn Finds Classifieds, contact the seller in Indianapolis, Indiana and plonk down $1,000 for your chance to own this rare automobile.

Now the seller states that all parts for this car are included, except the speedo, which was ordered, but Bradley went out of business before it was delivered. This is great news, as you can build a 1980’s kit from scratch and put your own mark on it. The only major issue I foresee, is that the 1980s kit car will be using 1980s electronics. Given that EVs have moved on considerably since then, this car may be more complicated than originally thought. However, with some clever engineering, you could likely fit a Nissan Leaf drivetrain or Chevy Bolt drivetrain and batteries to this. You will also likely need to replace all of the original electronics just to be on the safe side.

You could drive it on its original drivetrain – but the batteries will need replacing. It’s likely you would get less than 50 miles of range if so, but the battery replacement cost will likely be less than that of using a Nissan Leaf. Interestingly, this car was developed whilst the company was going through bankruptcy, as a last-ditch attempt to save the company. However, the facts and figures were not that remarkable, which is why the company likely folded. It was RWD, but the electric motor only gave it 20.7hp, from its bank of 16 lead acid batteries.

Above is a photo from a previous Barn Finds post of the completed model. Should you wish to join the ranks of other Bradley owners, which included Liberace, Barry Goldwater, and Jeff Dunham, then you can say you have one of the most unusual electric cars on the road today. The lucky buyer actually is in for a treat as they have no real issue with just starting again with the right drivetrain and interior that they want. But do you think you could justify this investment and add this project car into your garage?

Comments

  1. Avatar Raoul-F

    TYPO: Bradley made cars from 1969 to1980… 0therwise,1979 would be the longest year ever…lasting eleven years :-)

    Like 0
  2. Avatar alphasud Member

    Some assembly required. Batteries not included. At least not in the usable sense. One of the few kit cars that has good lines. Ditch the ancient technology and perform a restomod. Never thought I would say that about a electric car.

    Like 1
  3. Avatar Big C

    Sure! All you have to do, is buy a Leaf or a Volt, and plop the Bradley body on it. A nice weekend project.

    Like 1
    • Avatar Claudio

      Yup
      That weekend better an extra long one !

      I could tackle this but our canadian dmv would NEVER let me plate or drive this !

      Like 0
  4. Avatar Troy

    A few days ago you profiled that red chassis with the Oldsmobile V8 now here is a body you can modify to fit so you have something to get a big fat ticket

    Like 0
  5. Avatar Chris

    Did you sell it because that would be a fantastic project. I would be willing to try!

    Like 2

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