Automotive
Bricklin International Eastern Meet comes to Front Royal
Bricklin International Eastern Meet. Photo and video by Mike McCool, Royal Examiner.
The 2019 Bricklin International Eastern Meet was in Front Royal this week. They started to arrive in Front Royal on July 24th, at the Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites on 522 North. After a day of seeing the sites in our community, the group had a car show at the Gazebo in Downtown Front Royal on July 27th. With 18 cars from around the country, the Bricklin, with it’s gull wing doors and unique look, was still turning heads. The Royal Examiner’s camera was at the Gazebo and spoke with Bricklin International Chairman Steve Stratton:
About the Bricklin:
The Bricklin is a gull-wing sports car that was manufactured in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada for exclusive sale in the United States. Production at the plant began in mid 1974 and continued through late 1975 with three model years resulting (1974, 1975 & 1976). There were 2854 cars built before Bricklin went bankrupt. An estimated 1500 still exist today. Bricklin International (BI) reports 570 active members with cars on the road and in restoration.
The single model built was given the designation SV-1, for Safety Vehicle 1. It had a built in roll cage, side guard rails and shock absorbing, 5-mph bumpers that receded into the car. It was not only safe in an accident, but had the power and handling to avoid one. The Bricklin far exceeded safety requirements of the time.
Like the DeLorean which came after it, the Bricklin was a futuristic vehicle which was well liked by owners and the automotive press, but was never produced in large enough numbers to be profitable. Bricklin owners have a club which publishes a quarterly magazine and sponsors yearly meets on the east and west coasts.
The second distinguishing design feature of the Bricklin (besides the gull-wing doors) is the acrylic body. A vacuum forming process bonded color-impregnated acrylic to each fiberglass body panel. The Bricklin was delivered to the customer without paint. Minor scratches would be buffed out. The Bricklin came only in the standout colors of : Safety White, Safety Suntan, Safety Green, Safety Red and Safety Orange.
All the cars were black below the belt-line and had beige interiors. In keeping with the safety theme, there was no ashtray or cigarette lighter.
Taken from the Bricklin International website: http://www.bricklin.org
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