One of the coolest campers ever made has to be the Vixen 21TD. Rightfully so, this was considered the driver’s RV, a motorhome with a low center of gravity, slippery and wind-cheating exterior, a BMW turbodiesel engine, and an all-around design that was like no other camper on the road. Less than 1,000 were made and they tend to move quickly when they do come up for sale, especially in decent running condition like this example here on Facebook Marketplace for $13,500.
Clearly, the Vixen doesn’t operate according to the standard rules of RV design. When every other motorhome on the road is effectively three bricks stacked on top of the other with headlights from a late model domestic truck wedged into crude-fitting openings, the Vixen was a wildly different take on what life on the road should look like. The engineering behind the fiberglass design was a totally different take on what a motorhome could be capable of, and I wonder if a recreational vehicle had ever undergone wind tunnel testing before the Vixen came a long. This one appears to ride on some 80s-era GM wheels and white-letter tires, which isn’t what the original designer had in mind.
The M21 turbodiesel engine was developed by BMW in response to the oil crisis, and based on the venerable M20 inline-six engine. Built in partnership with Steyr-Daimler Puch, BMW would eventually take over full production of the engine. Curiously, Ford was one of the biggest customers initially lined up, with big plans to drop the BMW-built diesel into its vehicles. As the crisis concerns eased, those plans eroded, and that’s why you only see a handful of early-80s Lincoln models pop up each year. The seller notes that the engine in his Vixen has been recently serviced, with a new timing belt and water pump, clutch master and slave with new line, updated ignition components, and more.
No interior photos are provided, but the Vixen was an exercise in clever packaging. A full gallery, a master bedroom suite, a wardrobe, custom bathroom, and the most trick feature of all – a pneumatic roof that can be raised to offer nearly seven feet of headroom inside the motorhome – rounded out what was an extremely well-executed design. Sadly, the diesel engine and smaller proportions didn’t seem to resonate with the American public, and the Vixen was sold in numbers far too small to make it a viable player in the competitive motorhome market. This one looks like a smart buy given the seller has put some work into it, but more investments (time and mone) will be needed to take this turbodiesel Vixen on the road this summer.
My friend owns 3 of these and personally had dinner with the designer Bill Collins who sadly passed last year. Some of these have the GM 3800 engine and 4 speed auto transaxle which in my opinion is better suited than the BMW and UN1 Renault transaxle. Bill Collins was the chief engineer to John DeLorean in the making of the car.
Seems worth the investment, park it and live in it if you will. Many options with this vehicle.
An RV that’ll fit in your garage.
I have a mechanic friend who worked on one of
these for a guy,& the understanding was that he’d
be offered the chance to buy it,if it ever came up for-
sale.
Well,you guessed it – the owner sold it,& never
notified my friend beforehand.
At 6’4″, I’m pretty sure that if it fits in the garage, I’d never be able to stand up straight inside of it! Wicked good looks, though! GLWTS!! :-)
I haven’t been in one of these, but the roof elevates (or is supposed to). Quote from FB-MP “The interior is dirty but complete. The headliner is gone. The roof air cylinder isn’t holding the poptop. I think it’s a leak in the line from the compressor (which does come on).”
These came in 2 configurations. The pop up roof is the one to own.
I’m in agreement with you I’m 6 foot even and I don’t think I can stand up straight in this thing and the idea of a Pop top reminds me of having a tent trailer so no thanks.
I’m also not a fan of not having an automatic gearbox as an option. I know some people might like it and that’s okay. But for a vehicle like this, I’d prefer automatic and Turbo Diesel engine. I understand that with the Vixen SE you could’ve gotten a V6 engine and an automatic.
The central roof panel is hinged along the passenger side, so the driver’s side tips up to allow 7′ of headroom standing at the galley kitchen on that side, then some smoked Plexiglas panels flip up to cover the resulting gaps, giving a sort of clerestory roof effect.
Later-production Vixens had a fixed fiberglass pent-roof shell installed in place of the popup panel, looks like the type commonly fitted to many conversion vans of the period. This improved full-time headroom without having to deploy the popup roof panel of earlier models, at the expense of aerodynamics and garagability (presuming you even had a garage of standard height but deep enough to accommodate the Vixen’s full length) and IMO spoiled the clean styling somewhat.
AS mentioned by many here before me, a foolish investment when just the interest alone from a good CD on the purchase price would buy many a nice hotel room with a hot shower and a decent meal in the restaurant too. Then, you get to travel around in a real car that is fun to drive, easy to park, and gets 5-10 times the MPG. I guess I am just not the RV type.
Also, as I am ranting, let me make a comment on the DeLorean car designer. Pretty on the outside, but not good otherwise. Poor design in my opinion. Then, he fits the engine bay with an expensive parts demon and an axle from the French? What could go wrong there?
But you wouldn’t have to worry about bed bugs!
I’ve spent many a night in the forest in National Parks with campfires and sleeping in tents or campers, and believe me there’s nothing like it. To a lifelong city dweller I can understand that on first blush it holds no appeal whatsoever, but once you’re out there surrounded by millions of acres of trees, clean air and the scent of pine everywhere you come to find very quickly that the local Ramada is actually what holds no appeal and you wonder why you liked them in the first place. Nowadays even at 75 I’d choose the forest or even a state campground well before I’d even consider staying in a hotel. I see a camper, or even a tent as money well spent for the spirit.
Not a big fan of bmw turbo diesels I’ve owned 2 one in a Lincoln and one in a BMW both suffered head gasket failure at 50,000 miles in my opinion a ticking time bomb, expensive to repair.if you need to buy one find one that has the GM sourced 3800.
You are correct. My friend has one with the 3800 as well as the BMW engine. Parts are really hard to source for both the engine and its Renault transaxle. The 3800 PowerPack is cheap, reliable, and easy to source parts.
I’d prefer a diesel pusher motorhome to a front engine motorhome. The problem I have is that most motorhomes I’ve seen are larger than 30ft long and look like cargo boxes on on wheels with an engine. Not everyone needs or wants a motorhome that large. I know I don’t. I think the problem with the BMW diesel engine was that for some reason not enough were offered here in the USA to justify offering a service network to help maintain the engine’s reliability.
It looks like the big motor home in the background just gave birth to this in the driveway.
I remember when these came out and Car and Driver (I think) wrote them up. It was a fascinating idea to my teenage mind, at least compared to the land barge the guy across the street had taking up most of his driveway. It never clicked that they had BMW engines in them, but then again, at that stage BMWs were just cars that the rich kid’s Dad’s drove.
If I was single, I might pick this up. Price seems fair enough given what some projects go for these days.
Beautiful looking RV. It’s too bad they were produced for so short amount of time. They may follow the “traditional” rules of most motorhomes, but so what? That’s what makes this RV so unique. This would’ve made a perfect first motorhome for the newbie RVer just starting out, the traveling businessperson to travel around the country for work, or possibly a veteran RVer looking to downsize from a 40′ diesel pusher motorhome to a 20′ diesel pusher motorhome.
“Like no other camper on the road”???? Are you forgetting the mid-70s GMs that looked just like this aerodynamic one with the Toronado engine and front wheel drive…that are featured in Barn Finds over and over again?
Those GMC motorhomes had similar styling and aerodynamics, but they’re much larger, not to mention the entirely different powertrain configurations.
It’s hard to tell from photos just how compact these Vixens are, only about as tall as a full-size van and 5″ wider, but a couple feet longer than even the extended-wheelbase van variants.
A better engine option would have been a slant six, like the Cortez camper.
A better engine option would be to install a slant six come failure time of that poorly designed bmw engine, Cortez campers had the slant six FWD, still on the road.
We were intrigued by a BMW-powered RV and a local guy, retired dentist, had a few: he refurbished them for sale. We were stopped from purchasing by the diesel odor in the back bedroom over the engine and also the pop-up roof issue. It was hinged on the curb side so it popped up enough to allow the 6 foot person to stand up in the shower.
Thanks for the education. I’ve never even heard of one of these. My wife and daughter often make trips to the privy in our RV while rolling. I guess crawling is an option.
this and the realto (vw) seem abt right to me (solo, 3, 4 mo trips both coasts, Canada, Rockies, SW, etc). I like ‘the small’ but w/bath’n kitchen. The ol slide in camper is almost enuff for me. Hotel/motel doesnt work as I need to stop when wanting (some times at the drop ofa hat), stay out of populated areas, wanna solo it at secluded spots (no other campers) river side, ocean side, particular views, sounds, smells, and so on.
I’d love to drive a VW Rialta. I’ve never owned one, but I’ve seen quite a few over the years. Given its size it’d be perfect for newbie RVers looking for a motorhome to start traveling. The only mechanical upgrade I’d want would be a TDI diesel engine.
Continuation from a previous post: They may not follow the “traditional” rules of most motorhomes, meaning they’re not 30′-40′ in length and look like cargo boxes on wheels with an 8 litre Turbo Diesel engine, but so what? That’s what makes the Vixen so unique. If I bought one, I’d want mine with a Duramax 2.8 litre 4 cyl. turbo diesel engine and automatic gearbox.
I’ll take a 23′ GMC Motorcoach and enjoy the reliability of the fwd and the headroom.
I happen to own a Vixen 21 (21 feet long) with a blown BMW turbo diesel. The engine overheats and the aluminun head warps and breaks the cam. I have seen people put a BMW 3 series gas motor in them. Mine will be showing up here soon. I have too many projects. When i bought it i had hoped to get a new motor from Germany, no such luck, only rebuilds. It was built on a GM chasis which may explain the 80s GM wheels, also has GM van brakes and some suspension. Its very easy to stand up in and im 6 ft 1 in, once stopped and roof lifted(one side lifts) Mine is a true project so keep your eyes peeled here. Once its not covered with snow it will show up here.