Some cars are blue-chip collectibles. Others are cult favorites. And then there is the Bricklin SV-1 – a car so unusual, so ambitious, and so unmistakably of its era that it still stops enthusiasts in their tracks half a century later.
That is what makes The Bricklin Collection at Mecum Glendale 2026 so interesting. Set to sell at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, March 17–21, this year’s auction will feature a seven-car run of Bricklin SV-1s, all crossing the block on Friday, March 20. In a sale expected to feature roughly 2,000 vehicles, this compact group stands out not because of sheer scale, but because of how rarely the opportunity comes along to view – and bid on – so many Bricklins at once.
The 1970s safety car that still looks like the future
The Bricklin SV-1 was never meant to be ordinary. Its very name – Safety Vehicle One – told the story. Here was a wedge-shaped sports car with gullwing doors, color-impregnated composite bodywork, substantial impact protection, and a steel perimeter frame with an integrated roll structure. It looked like a concept car, sounded like a startup, and arrived with a mission that set it apart from the usual performance-car formula.
It was also short-lived. Total production at Bricklin’s Saint John, New Brunswick factory reached just 2,854 examples, giving the SV-1 a level of rarity that has only added to its long-term intrigue. What survives today is not just a quirky 1970s specialty car, but a reminder of a time when independent automotive ambition still had room to try something radically different.
Seven cars, one collection, and a rare snapshot of the full Bricklin story
What gives this group real substance is that it is not just seven examples of the same unusual car. It is a concise overview of the SV-1’s brief production history.
Two of the cars are 1974 models, the first year of production and the only year buyers could order a 4-speed manual. Three are 1975 examples, reflecting the model’s better-known Ford-powered phase. Two more are 1976 cars, late-production survivors from the very end of the line. That spread gives this collection real narrative value. It shows how the Bricklin began, how it evolved, and how quickly the story ended.
The early 1974 cars may be the enthusiast favorites
For purists, the standout may be Lot F180.1, a 1974 Bricklin SV-1 equipped with the AMC 360 CI V-8, a 4-speed manual transmission, air conditioning, and just 2,042 miles. The manual gearbox alone makes it special, as it was only offered in 1974, and it gives this car a more driver-oriented appeal than the later automatic models. Update: SOLD for $44,000.
Alongside it is Lot F181, another 1974 SV-1, this one featuring the same 360 CI V-8 engine paired with an automatic transmission and boasting just 609 miles. If the manual car feels like the enthusiast’s choice, this one looks more like a preservation piece – an early Bricklin with the kind of mileage that immediately draws serious attention. Update: SOLD for $37,400.
The 1975 cars form the heart of the group
The middle of the collection is made up of three 1975 Bricklins, each powered by the 351 CI V-8 and fitted with an automatic transmission.
Lot F178 shows 3,177 miles. Update: SOLD for $47,300.
Lot F182 carries just 1,049 miles. Update: SOLD for $29,700.
Lot F183 is the highest-mile example of the group at 8,876 miles, though even that figure remains modest by ordinary standards. Update: SOLD for $28,600.
Together, the trio offers a useful look at the Ford-powered chapter of Bricklin production, and the variations collectors may weigh between preservation, usability, and presentation.
The late-production 1976 cars add real historical interest
Then come the two late cars, and these may be the sleepers of the collection.
Lot F179 is a 1976 Bricklin SV-1 with the 351 CI V-8, automatic transmission, and 972 miles. Update: SOLD for $29,150.
Lot F180, also a 1976 car, is listed with just 80 miles -a true headline figure in any niche collector category. Update: SOLD for $29,700. Because 1976 production was so limited, this and the next example, Lot F179, which sold for $29,150, help tell the closing chapter of the exciting Bricklin SV-1 story in a way few collector-car groupings ever could.
No reserve adds real energy to the story
Another factor elevates this collection from interesting to genuinely watchable: all seven cars are listed without reserve.
That matters. A no-reserve sale creates urgency, transparency, and the possibility of real market discovery. For a car like the Bricklin – still admired, still debated, still difficult to neatly categorize – that makes this collection even more compelling. The market will not merely admire these cars from a distance. It will value them, live and in public.
Why the Bricklin still matters
The Bricklin SV-1 occupies a strange and wonderful corner of the collector car landscape. It was not a pure muscle car. It was not a European exotic. It was not a mass-market sports coupe. It was something else entirely: a bold idea wrapped in dramatic styling, technical ambition, and startup optimism.
That is why seven of them crossing one auction block matters.
This is not just a quirky footnote at a major sale. It is a concentrated reminder that the collector car world is at its most interesting when it makes room for the outliers – the cars that dared to be different, even if they never quite fit the usual mold. For bidders, spectators, and anyone with a weakness for automotive what-ifs, The Bricklin Collection may end up being one of the most memorable attractions of Mecum Glendale 2026.
Register to bid on these fascinating Seventies survivors – be sure to contact Mecum Auctions for bidder arrangements today – before they’re gone to another astute collector/enthusiast!
Enjoy this quick glimpse into the SV-1 straight from the production floor, courtesy of Oshawa, Ontario’s Canadian Automotive Museum. We also heartily recommend you visit!
Popular comedian Jeff Dunham owns a 1975 Bricklin SV-1. He and Jay Leno discuss the bold car and venture at length here:
David Neyens has worked in collector car sales and auctions for 18 years, writing thousands of detailed vehicle descriptions and helping his clients navigate the market successfully. His expertise has helped clients earn millions through informed market participation. Motorcopia provides the analytical perspective serious collectors need to understand not just cars, but how the market actually functions. Motorcopia delivers the insider intelligence you won’t find anywhere else.
www.motorcopia.com
Subscribe to the free Motorcopia Newsletter today!
Leave a Reply