Malcolm Bricklin
Encyclopedia
Malcolm Bricklin born March 09, 1939 (age 72) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
is an automotive entrepreneur
. He is best known for his self-named automobile company, and for being one of the few Americans who has successfully introduced foreign cars in bulk to the American public from firms such as Subaru
, Fiat
and Zastava
.
in Orlando, Florida
, in 1956.
In 1958, Bricklin dropped out of the University of Florida
and built his father's Orlando, Florida building supply business into a franchised chain of Handyman stores. Bricklin left the business having become a millionaire
in the process. Through his various ventures in marketing low-cost cars in America, in building his own car, the Bricklin SV-1
, in Canada, and in distributing the Chinese made Chery
in America, he has, however, run into several business setbacks and has declared bankruptcy twice.
that included the Fuji Rabbit
made by Fuji Heavy Industries
, who also produced the tiny Subaru 360
automobile. Bricklin made a deal with Subaru to introduce those cars to the United States, but after Consumer Reports
called the Subaru 360 "The Most Unsafe Car in America," sales slowed to a stop. Bricklin and his partner, Harvey Lamm, then formed Subaru of America, Inc. to sell Subaru
franchises.
, a car with an exotic appearance (including 100 pound gullwing doors). "SV" stood for safety vehicle, and Bricklin applied standards far ahead of anything the United States government was imposing in the 1970s. The SV-1 was manufactured in New Brunswick, Canada beginning in 1974, an area not known for auto manufacturing. The first year an American Motors
360 cubic inch V-8
engine was used then a Ford 351 cubic inch V-8 in 1975. Sales did not meet expectations, and only 2,854 cars were built before the company went into receivership
, owing the government $23 million. It is believed approximately 1,500 Bricklin cars still exist. The Bricklin has a small but dedicated fanbase, and the Bricklin International Owners Club holds national meets biannually.
s (rebadged as Bertones). In the 1980s, he formed Yugo America, Inc. with a goal of bringing an extremely affordable car to U.S. drivers. The cars were manufactured in the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
and carried the unheard of price tag of $3990. With 160,000 vehicles sold during its launch phase, the Yugo quickly became the fastest selling European import in American automotive history. Despite this, the Yugo had a reputation for extremely low quality and was listed as one of the worst cars of all time. Bricklin sold his stake in Yugo in 1988 for $40 million. Yugo America filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy liquidation
in 1991.
technologies, but he never lost his desire to bring a low-cost, high-quality car to the United States.
, India
, Poland
and finally decided to work on importing cars manufactured by China
-based Chery Automobile
instead. Bricklin's deal with Chery was signed at the end of 2004, and the inexpensive vehicles were announced to be available in the United States in 2007 from his newly named company, Visionary Vehicles
LLC. Bricklin sued Chery in July 2008, claiming he lost $26 million in start up costs and $14 billion in expected profits. According to the lawsuit, the deal with Chery fell through in November 2006. Chery subsequently sought to partner with Chrysler
and Quantum LLC.
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
is an automotive entrepreneur
Entrepreneur
An entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...
. He is best known for his self-named automobile company, and for being one of the few Americans who has successfully introduced foreign cars in bulk to the American public from firms such as Subaru
Subaru
; is the automobile manufacturing division of Japanese transportation conglomerate Fuji Heavy Industries .Subaru is internationally known for their use of the boxer engine layout popularized in cars by the Volkswagen Beetle and Porsche 911, in most of their vehicles above 1500 cc as well as...
, Fiat
Fiat
FIAT, an acronym for Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino , is an Italian automobile manufacturer, engine manufacturer, financial, and industrial group based in Turin in the Italian region of Piedmont. Fiat was founded in 1899 by a group of investors including Giovanni Agnelli...
and Zastava
Zastava
Zastava can refer to:*Zastava Arms*Zastava Automobiles*Zastava Trucks...
.
Handyman America
He graduated from William R. Boone High SchoolWilliam R. Boone High School
William R. Boone High School is a public high school in Orlando, Florida, United States. Built in 1952, the school is one of twenty high schools in the Orange County Public Schools system, created to accommodate the growing number of students at Orlando High School...
in Orlando, Florida
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
, in 1956.
In 1958, Bricklin dropped out of the University of Florida
University of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
and built his father's Orlando, Florida building supply business into a franchised chain of Handyman stores. Bricklin left the business having become a millionaire
Millionaire
A millionaire is an individual whose net worth or wealth is equal to or exceeds one million units of currency. It can also be a person who owns one million units of currency in a bank account or savings account...
in the process. Through his various ventures in marketing low-cost cars in America, in building his own car, the Bricklin SV-1
Bricklin SV-1
The Bricklin SV-1 was a gull-wing door sports car assembled in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada. The body panels were manufactured in a separate plant in Minto, New Brunswick. Manufactured from 1974 until early 1976 for the U.S. market, the car was the creation of Malcolm Bricklin, an American...
, in Canada, and in distributing the Chinese made Chery
Chery Automobile
Chery Automobile Co Ltd is a state-owned automobile manufacturer in the People's Republic of China.Chery became the 7th most-productive Chinese vehicle manufacturer in 2010, selling nearly 700,000 units.-History:...
in America, he has, however, run into several business setbacks and has declared bankruptcy twice.
Subaru
In 1965, Bricklin started selling franchises for motor scootersScooter (motorcycle)
A scooter is a motorcycle with step-through frame and a platform for the operator's feet. Elements of scooter design have been present in some of the earliest motorcycles, and motorcycles identifiable as scooters have been made from 1914 or earlier...
that included the Fuji Rabbit
Fuji Rabbit
The Fuji Rabbit was a motor scooter produced in Japan by Fuji Heavy Industries from 1946 through 1968.Production of the initial model, the S-1 began in 1946, some six months before the Vespa went into production and was largely inspired by scooters used by American servicemen during and after World...
made by Fuji Heavy Industries
Fuji Heavy Industries
, or FHI, is a Japanese transportation conglomerate most known for being the manufacturer of Subaru automobiles. It traces its roots to the Nakajima Aircraft Company, a leading supplier of airplanes to the Japanese government during World War II...
, who also produced the tiny Subaru 360
Subaru 360
The Subaru 360 was the first automobile mass-produced by Fuji Heavy Industries' Subaru division. A number of innovative features were used to design a very small and inexpensive car to address government plans to produce a small "people's car" with an engine no larger than 360 cc when most in...
automobile. Bricklin made a deal with Subaru to introduce those cars to the United States, but after Consumer Reports
Consumer Reports
Consumer Reports is an American magazine published monthly by Consumers Union since 1936. It publishes reviews and comparisons of consumer products and services based on reporting and results from its in-house testing laboratory. It also publishes cleaning and general buying guides...
called the Subaru 360 "The Most Unsafe Car in America," sales slowed to a stop. Bricklin and his partner, Harvey Lamm, then formed Subaru of America, Inc. to sell Subaru
Subaru
; is the automobile manufacturing division of Japanese transportation conglomerate Fuji Heavy Industries .Subaru is internationally known for their use of the boxer engine layout popularized in cars by the Volkswagen Beetle and Porsche 911, in most of their vehicles above 1500 cc as well as...
franchises.
Bricklin
When Bricklin sold his stake in Subaru, he received enough money to pursue his own American dream. He decided to design and manufacture his own vehicle, which he called Bricklin SV-1Bricklin SV-1
The Bricklin SV-1 was a gull-wing door sports car assembled in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada. The body panels were manufactured in a separate plant in Minto, New Brunswick. Manufactured from 1974 until early 1976 for the U.S. market, the car was the creation of Malcolm Bricklin, an American...
, a car with an exotic appearance (including 100 pound gullwing doors). "SV" stood for safety vehicle, and Bricklin applied standards far ahead of anything the United States government was imposing in the 1970s. The SV-1 was manufactured in New Brunswick, Canada beginning in 1974, an area not known for auto manufacturing. The first year an American Motors
American Motors
American Motors Corporation was an American automobile company formed by the 1954 merger of Nash-Kelvinator Corporation and Hudson Motor Car Company. At the time, it was the largest corporate merger in U.S. history.George W...
360 cubic inch V-8
V8 engine
A V8 engine is a V engine with eight cylinders mounted on the crankcase in two banks of four cylinders, in most cases set at a right angle to each other but sometimes at a narrower angle, with all eight pistons driving a common crankshaft....
engine was used then a Ford 351 cubic inch V-8 in 1975. Sales did not meet expectations, and only 2,854 cars were built before the company went into receivership
Receivership
In law, receivership is the situation in which an institution or enterprise is being held by a receiver, a person "placed in the custodial responsibility for the property of others, including tangible and intangible assets and rights." The receivership remedy is an equitable remedy that emerged in...
, owing the government $23 million. It is believed approximately 1,500 Bricklin cars still exist. The Bricklin has a small but dedicated fanbase, and the Bricklin International Owners Club holds national meets biannually.
Bertone and Yugo
Bricklin went on to import Fiat X1/9Fiat X1/9
The Fiat X1/9 is a two-seater mid-engined sports car designed by Bertone and manufactured by Fiat from 1972-1982 and subsequently by Bertone from 1982-1989....
s (rebadged as Bertones). In the 1980s, he formed Yugo America, Inc. with a goal of bringing an extremely affordable car to U.S. drivers. The cars were manufactured in the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was the Yugoslav state that existed from the abolition of the Yugoslav monarchy until it was dissolved in 1992 amid the Yugoslav Wars. It was a socialist state and a federation made up of six socialist republics: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia,...
and carried the unheard of price tag of $3990. With 160,000 vehicles sold during its launch phase, the Yugo quickly became the fastest selling European import in American automotive history. Despite this, the Yugo had a reputation for extremely low quality and was listed as one of the worst cars of all time. Bricklin sold his stake in Yugo in 1988 for $40 million. Yugo America filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy liquidation
Chapter 7, Title 11, United States Code
Chapter 7 of the Title 11 of the United States Code governs the process of liquidation under the bankruptcy laws of the United States...
in 1991.
Electric vehicles and fuel cells
In the 1990s, Bricklin turned his attention to the idea of producing environmentally friendly vehicles. He studied battery technology and went on to form an electric vehicle company, marketing an electric bicycle known as the EV Warrior. The company went bankrupt in 1997. At the turn of the century, Bricklin became very involved with several progressive fuel cellFuel cell
A fuel cell is a device that converts the chemical energy from a fuel into electricity through a chemical reaction with oxygen or another oxidizing agent. Hydrogen is the most common fuel, but hydrocarbons such as natural gas and alcohols like methanol are sometimes used...
technologies, but he never lost his desire to bring a low-cost, high-quality car to the United States.
The search for the global car
Beginning in 2002, Bricklin began his search for a manufacturing partner that could help him create another value brand in the US. He thought briefly with the idea of Yugo again, but the factories were in disrepair and he didn't feel he could create a quality vehicle there. Bricklin embarked on a three-year journey around the world to find a manufacturing partner. He looked in the United KingdomUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
and finally decided to work on importing cars manufactured by China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
-based Chery Automobile
Chery Automobile
Chery Automobile Co Ltd is a state-owned automobile manufacturer in the People's Republic of China.Chery became the 7th most-productive Chinese vehicle manufacturer in 2010, selling nearly 700,000 units.-History:...
instead. Bricklin's deal with Chery was signed at the end of 2004, and the inexpensive vehicles were announced to be available in the United States in 2007 from his newly named company, Visionary Vehicles
Visionary Vehicles
Malcolm Bricklin is head of V Cars. LLC, called Visionary Vehicles prior to mid-2008, that was to be the North American distributor of Chery Automobiles...
LLC. Bricklin sued Chery in July 2008, claiming he lost $26 million in start up costs and $14 billion in expected profits. According to the lawsuit, the deal with Chery fell through in November 2006. Chery subsequently sought to partner with Chrysler
Chrysler
Chrysler Group LLC is a multinational automaker headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan, USA. Chrysler was first organized as the Chrysler Corporation in 1925....
and Quantum LLC.
Coming full circle
Today Bricklin and Visionary Vehicles are planning to use his experience with both fuel cell technology and his knowledge of manufacturing economics to create a line of plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs).Documentary film
The documentary film entitled "The Entrepreneur" was filmed and directed by Bricklin's son, Jonathon Bricklin. The film documents his father's business meetings around the world as he tried to secure a contract with a manufacturing plan to offer a luxury sedan at a lower price than other automobiles offered in the United States.External links
- BusinessWeek Bricklin is Back with a Plug-in
- Malcolm Bricklin Subaru, Bricklin, Fiat, Yugo cars
- Man behind the Yugo to lead new import wave in 2007, a January 2005 cover story from the Detroit News
- Bricklin Chery call it quits, from The Car Connection
- Malcolm Bricklin on electric hybrid plans, ReutersReutersReuters is a news agency headquartered in New York City. Until 2008 the Reuters news agency formed part of a British independent company, Reuters Group plc, which was also a provider of financial market data...
interview from January 2007 - http://www.bricklinmusical.ca/