A rare Canadian Bricklin SV-1 was spotted at a 'Cars & Coffee' in Utah with its original safety green
Published on Oct 13, 2025 at 9:53 AM (UTC+4)
by Claire Reid
Last updated on Oct 13, 2025 at 9:53 AM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Claire Reid
A car enthusiast was left stumped after spotting a super rare 1970s Bricklin SV-1 at a Cars & Coffee meet in Utah.
The Bricklin SV-1 was created by American businessman Malcolm Bricklin in 1974.
But the car was around for a good time, not a long time, and production ended for good two years later.
With so few examples made, it’s understandable that one car lover visiting a Cars & Coffee meetup had no clue what he was looking at.
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The super rare Bricklin SV-1 left one car enthusiast stumped
Every now and then, even the most seasoned car lover will spot a vehicle they can’t recognize, like this Superlite SL-C someone saw out and about on the road, or this mystery vehicle that has left thousands of people baffled.
More recently, a car enthusiast in Utah spotted this eye-catching green vehicle and turned to the ‘What is this car’ subreddit to get some answers, and it’s not the first time the car has popped up there.
It didn’t take long before dozens of users let him know it was a Bricklin SV-1.
The name SV-1 is short for Safety Vehicle 1, and the car came with an integrated roll-over structure and special energy-absorbing bumpers.
It also came with distinctive gull-wing doors and, unlike most cars, the Bricklin wasn’t painted; instead, its panels were actually constructed out of color-impregnated acrylic resin that was bonded to fiberglass.
Only around 3,000 were ever produced, with an estimated 1,700 surviving in 2012.
Incredibly, the survivor seen in Utah recently appeared to be sporting it original ‘Safety Green’ acrylic body color.
“Given the different shades on different body panels, I wonder if it is the original colour faded. Kind of neat,” one person wrote.
Neat indeed.
Where did it all go wrong for the Bricklin?
The SV-1 was built out of the Bricklin Canada assembly plant in Saint John, New Brunswick.
But it didn’t have an easy run.
Initially, its designers struggled to find an acrylic resin that could withstand high temperatures.
And then after sorting that problem, they discovered issues getting the acrylic layer to stick to the fiberglass one.
Not only that, but the car had more than doubled in price since it was unveiled to the public, meaning it was no longer an affordable option.
After just two years in production, the Bricklin SV-1 was scrapped with numerous reasons given for its demise, including the rising cost of the car, quality control, and supplier shortages.
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Claire Reid is a journalist who hails from the UK but is now living in New Zealand. She began her career after graduating with a degree in Journalism from Liverpool John Moore’s University and has more than a decade of experience, writing for both local newspapers and national news sites. Claire covers a wide variety of topics, with a special focus on cars, technology, planes, cryptocurrency, and luxury.
