27. Bricklin SV-1
The SV-1 was the brainchild of automotive entrepreneur Malcolm Bricklin. They produced it in Canada between 1974 and 1975, making less than 3,000 of them. For a short while, they marketed the SV-1 as the best, most advanced American sports car. But as soon as the first cars started rolling down the assembly line, it was clear the SV-1 was not as good as people expected.
The idea was to produce a safe and fast sports car, as the name SV-1, or Safety Vehicle One, suggested. Bricklin designed the car with big bumpers, numerous additional features, warning sensors and power Gullwing doors. It didn’t have a cigarette lighter but they added an integrated roll cage and lots of other things, making it heavier.
The sluggishly weak power came from a 360 AMC V8 engine. Later, the company turned to the 351 Ford V8 but still couldn’t deliver any real performance. Many people praised the SV-1 for its dedication to safety, but they criticized it for its lack of performance and weight, as well as the high price and poor build quality.