A piece of New Brunswick automotive history will be on display in Saint John this weekend.
It was 50 years ago this month that the first Bricklin SV-1 sports car was built in the province.
Members of the Bricklin International Owners Club are gathering over the coming days to mark the occasion.
That includes a closed event on Friday evening where members will show off their vehicles at Bricklin’s original production site.
The building on Industrial Drive is now home to CLOW Canada, which manufactures fire hydrants, valves, and water/wastewater accessories.
“We are thrilled to host this milestone celebration at the original production site of the Bricklin SV-1,” said Rick Benoit, the vice-president of CLOW Canada.
“This event not only honours the innovative spirit of the Bricklin SV-1 but also celebrates the rich history and contributions of the Saint John community.”
The car’s history dates back to the 1970s with American businessman Malcolm Bricklin, who was the first businessman to import the Subaru brand into the U.S. in 1968. Bricklin founded his own car company, General Vehicles, and began manufacturing a two-seat gull-wing door sports car that planned to compete with the Chevrolet Corvette.
According to historians, Bricklin struck a deal to manufacture vehicles in New Brunswick, to address the unemployment rate, which was around 25 per cent in the mid-1970s.
Then-premier Richard Hatfield endorsed the province’s role in the Bricklin project as a means of creating a manufacturing base that could offer stable, well-paid jobs and attract attention to New Brunswick.
Production kicked off in the middle of 1974 and ran until the end of 1975, with more than 1,200 individuals working at the facilities in Saint John and Minto.
More than 2,850 cars had been built by September 1975 and General Vehicles had established relationships with over 400 U.S. car dealers, resulting in 40,000 backorders. However, the province decided to stop providing financial aid, forcing the company into receivership.
Benoit pointed out that Bricklin’s downfall as a production car was also due to subpar body panels, a problematic electro-hydraulic door system, leaky door weather-stripping and overall inferior manufacturing quality compared to other car manufacturers, calling Bricklin SV-1 Canada’s Delorean.
More than 30 Bricklin automobiles will be on display along Saint John’s Water Street from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. Saturday as part of the 50th anniversary celebrations from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
In addition, the New Brunswick Museum is hosting a pop-up exhibition of select Bricklin artifacts at the McAllister Place shopping centre from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday.
The exhibit will include the “Grey Ghost”, the original 1972 concept car named for its colour and the fact it went missing for years until finally tracked down in a Colorado barn.
