History of the Bricklin
About the Bricklin
Named after its American inventor Malcolm Bricklin, the Bricklin SV-1 (safety vehicle one) is a futuristic sports car built between 1974 and 1976 in New Brunswick for sale in the U.S. It has two main distinguishing features: gull-wing doors and an acrylic body. Known for its exceptional safety features, it was only produced in the following colours: safety green, safety orange, safety red, safety white and safety suntan. Other features include a built-in roll cage, side guard rails and shock-absorbing, retractable bumpers.
The Pursuit of a Dream
In a quest to sell his dream, Malcolm Bricklin traveled across the border to Canada. Bricklin initially tried to get an investment from the province of Quebec. After negotiations fell through, Bricklin then went to New Brunswick where Richard Hatfield was Premier. Premier Hatfield was intrigued by the idea of a New Brunswick-produced car and a deal was arranged in which the province would make an initial commitment of $3.6 Million in funding and loan guarantees. Glass fibre-backed acrylic-skinned bodies were to be produced in Minto and the car was to be assembled in Saint John.
Promotion for the new vehicle reached its peak with the unveiling of The Bricklin at the star-studded launch in the Ballroom of New York’s Four Seasons Hotel. Ever the showman, Bricklin revealed a prototype of his dream car then proceeded to take a hot branding iron and press the letter ‘B’ into the car. He explained that the damage could be buffed away due to the space age properties of a Bricklin body. The crowd was impressed and Premier Hatfield rhapsodic over the prospect of the car’s success.
A Losing Battle
Word of the Bricklin moved fast with 5000 cars being sold before any had been produced and 200 US dealerships signing up. The plan was to produce 12,000 Bricklins in the first year, 30,000 in the second, 50,000 in the third and 100,000 in the fourth, at a rate of 50 cars per day.
Problems soon began to arise. Overall, the car was poorly engineered and assembled. Visibility was poor; there were electrical issues; the headlights refused to pop up; the plastic body was subject to cracks and warping; the windshields leaked; and the gullwing doors were so heavy that they moved very slowly, if at all. A high price tag topped off all of the issues that halted the success of the Bricklin SV-1.
The plant managed to produce less than 800 cars in 1974 and 2100 in 1975. With $23 million in debt accumulated and rising political pressure, Hatfield was forced to abandon the project and stop production. The company went into receivership in September 1975. The best estimate is that somewhere between 2854 and 2857 Bricklin SV-1’s were produced, not meeting the quota of 5000.
The Bricklin Today
The Bricklin SV-1 has been featured in Playboy Magazine, as well as various movies and television shows, including a movie starring Malcolm Bricklin himself. There was even a song created about the infamous car, written by New Brunswick resident Charlie Russell. Although controversy continues to surround the car, it has been recognized as a classic design and immortalized by both a Canadian stamp and a 20 dollar coin.
It is believed that about 1800 Bricklin SV-1’s still exist today. Bricklin owners have their own exclusive club, The Bricklin International Owners Club, which publishes a quarterly magazine and sponsors yearly meets. The Bricklin is remembered everywhere, but the legend will never be forgotten in New Brunswick.
