Bricklin SV-1
The SV-1 was the brainchild of automotive entrepreneur Malcolm Bricklin. It was produced in Canada from 1974 to 1975 in less than 3000 examples. For a short while, the SV-1 was marketed as the best and most advanced American sports car. But as soon as the first cars started rolling off the assembly line, it was clear that the SV-1 was not as good as people expected (via Car and Driver).
The idea was to produce a safe, fast sports car as the name SV-1 (Safety Vehicle One) suggested. Bricklin designed the car with big bumpers, warning sensors, power Gullwing doors, no cigarette lighters, and an integrated roll cage. These details made it heavy and not very agile. Its power came from a 360 AMC V8 engine that wasn’t very powerful. Later the company turned to the 351 Ford V8. However, it still didn’t deliver any real performance.