Monday 19th July 2010

Sports Car Failure Inspires Musical

Bricklin, an ill-starred 70s Canadian sports car, becomes the subject of a new musical

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Canada is not a country renowned for the success of its motor industry, and the tragic tale of Bricklin, an ill-fated New Brunswick sports car venture that lasted from 1974-1976, is perhaps an example of why.

But the dramatic story of the SV-1 sports car, a saga that saw fewer than 3000 cars built before the company folded owing the New Brunswick state government a cool $23 million, has been revisited. In song (we jest not).

The Playhouse theatre, in the SV-1's home town of Fredericton, New Brunswick, is putting on a musical that recounts the story of the SV-1.

"We're going for a cabaret-meets-disco-meets-car-show vibe. It's supposed to be fun," Tim Yerxa, the Playhouse's executive director, told the New York Times. "It's a story about hopes and dreams, and at its heart are these two larger-than-life characters."

These two characters are the SV-1's creator, Malcolm Bricklin - who had made his fortune by importing Subarus into North America - and New Brunswick's then premier Richard Hatfield, who was instrumental in pouring millions of dollars of government cash into the project

The car itself, whose acronymic name stood for 'Safety Vehicle 1', was originally intended as a safe and economical sports car but, despite a fibreglass body, its ugly impact bumpers and integrated roll cage made it heavy - and therefore thirsty. Quality problems with the fibreglass body and poor management also eventually landed the company in receivership in 1975.

Fittingly, a 'Safety Orange' SV-1 - bought on eBay for $9000 - takes pride of place on the stage. But whether the car, whose voice is a 5.7-litre Ford V8, gets a solo number is unclear.

The Bricklin runs from 30 July 30 to 15 August 15, and the car is currently on a publicity tour of New Brunswick.

We presume it is now only a matter of time before somebody comes up with DeLorean: The Opera, or The Rise and Fall of TVR (three-part TV mini-series)...

[detomaso]

You've not seen this then http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stainless_Style

[louismasterson]

I see where DeLorean got his inspiration!

[theyoungupstart]

Speaking of 'Delorean'... striking similarities?!

[theyoungupstart]

louismasterson said:

I see where DeLorean got his inspiration!

Gash. Beaten to it.

[Riggers]

detomaso said:

You've not seen this then http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stainless_Style

Pure genius...

[ceriw]

louismasterson said:

I see where DeLorean got his inspiration!

and the Saab Sonnet 111 might have inspired them both.

[Jonboy_t]

So a car company went bust, no need to make a song and dance about it.

Sorry....

[CooperD]

That car looks like a cross between a De Lorean and an AC3000 ME.

[soad]

Know nothing about these cars. Looks okay though.

[qube_TA]

It had electric doors and a V8!

Want one.

[Evo]

How about

Robin Reliant and the prince of thieves

[Digsy]

I remember this being in my favourite pack of Top Trumps. LOL

Never knew the story behind it.

[Oddball RS]

3000 units from a cold start over just two and a bit years, not too shabby are they......?

[TheOrangePeril]

I'm still waiting for Jensen on Ice...

[Jasper Gilder]

John Zee DeLorean's Autobiography was called

"On a clear day - you can see General Motors"

Although he bigged himself up a bit ( lot) it's quite a good business book

[cuda]

I spent part of my gap year working on Malcolm Bricklin's ranch in Colorado back in '89. There were a few of the cars there - pretty shabby then too. He was working on a rotary engine at the time - kinda looked like the revolving part of the revolver and had huge torgue but never really made it. He was an interesting character - made his money importing Yugos (remember them?) into the states, so we all had a little Yugo to run around in. Dreadful car but when you're 18 and its free and in Colorado, nothin' beat it!

[rightwheeldrive]

Mr Malcom Bricklin is still at it to this day. He has been trying to set up a joint venture with one Mr Paul Moller of Moller sky car Farce. He wants to use mollers Un proven Rotary engine in a hybrid car, funded by a dealer network/goverment grant.

[loudlashadjuster]

The ragging of the Canadian motor industry seems a bit harsh as they appear to produce significantly more cars per capita that the UK, Italy or even the US (source: http://goo.gl/AOA6) and let's not forget that their main player, Magna (72,500 employees, turnover $17.4b), recently all but bought Opel/Vauxhall.

Like a quite a few nations that appear to lack indigenous volume producers (e.g. Belgium, Netherlands, [cough]the UK[cough]), Canada's motor industry seems to have becomes something of a success in the last 30 years, at least in terms of making and selling the things and in doing so contributing a fair % of the GDP.

PistonHeads: Ignorance Matters

[Riggers]

loudlashadjuster said:

The ragging of the Canadian motor industry seems a bit harsh as they appear to produce significantly more cars per capita that the UK, Italy or even the US (source: http://goo.gl/AOA6) and let's not forget that their main player, Magna (72,500 employees, turnover $17.4b), recently all but bought Opel/Vauxhall.

Like a quite a few nations that appear to lack indigenous volume producers (e.g. Belgium, Netherlands, [cough]the UK[cough]), Canada's motor industry seems to have becomes something of a success in the last 30 years, at least in terms of making and selling the things and in doing so contributing a fair % of the GDP.

PistonHeads: Ignorance Matters

A fair point... but I did say that Canada isn't renowned for the success of its motor industry, not that its motor industry isn't successful...

PistonHeads: Pedantry Matters

[forzaminardi]

I always thought a movie of the life of John DeLorean would be brilliant...