Bricklin's SV-1: New Brunswick invested $25M in a sports car that built 2,854 units

Malcolm Bricklin, the American entrepreneur who had already founded Subaru of America, convinced the province of New Brunswick, Canada, to back a new sports car venture in the early 1970s. New Brunswick, facing nearly 25% unemployment, saw the project as a way to create manufacturing jobs. The province provided financing and the assembly plant was built in Saint John, employing over 1,200 people at its peak.

The Bricklin SV-1 (Safety Vehicle-1) was a two-seat sports car with distinctive gull-wing doors, designed to be a safe, affordable sports car. Production began in mid-1974. The car featured a composite acrylic/fiberglass body and was initially priced at about $6,500.

The venture was plagued with problems from the start. Quality control was poor — the composite body panels delaminated and blistered, the gull-wing doors leaked and malfunctioned, and the car was underpowered. The price more than doubled from $6,500 to $14,000 over two years. The dealer network was weak, worker absenteeism was high, and supplier shortages compounded the issues. The total investment reached approximately CAD $25 million, heavily backed by the New Brunswick government.

In September 1975, after building just 2,854 cars and setting up over 400 US dealers, the province refused further financing and forced the company into receivership. About 1,200 jobs were lost in Saint John and Minto, New Brunswick. The factory was eventually sold. Malcolm Bricklin left the automotive business, later saying the venture was 'a step to success' — and indeed he went on to import the Yugo to the United States.