Apollo

1964-1965 APOLLO
The Apollo was a classic, sleek, fastback GT launched by Newt Davis and Milt Brown. The aluminum body, designed by Ron Plescia and Franco Scaglione, was built in Italy by Frank Reisner's Carrozzeria Intermecannica. Final assembly took place in California using a specially designed ladder-type tubular steel frame. The car, powered by Buick's then-new aluminum V-8 and equipped with Buick Special suspension parts, was a critical success, meeting universal praise.

It failed, several times in fact, as a result of financial and marketing naivete, although 88 cars total: 76 coupes, 11 convertibles, and a 2+2 coupe prototype—having been built marks it as more successful than many. With the larger engine fitted, top speed was claimed to be 150mph/240kmh (0-60mph in 7.5 seconds) but the company was not sufficiently strong to advertise nationally, or establish a dealer network. To make matters worse, nobody thought very highly of the power unit—the Buick engine (which lives on as the Rover V8) was notorious for giving trouble—the bodies' were expensive, and production ceased in 1964. Intermeccanica then supplied the bodies to a firm in Texas, which used them to make a car called the Vetta Ventura.

Production of the Apollo was resumed in 1964 but this venture was dead by the following year. In all 88 Apollos (II of which were convertibles) were made, together with 19 Vetta Venturas, but not all Apollos were delivered and some were quietly scrapped. Trivia fans might like to know that an Apollo GT was the car driven by the 'baddies' in The Love Bug.

The Vetta Ventura was produced at the same time as the Apollo and is considered a "Texas Apollo". This car is not to be confused with the Warrior, made about the same time, in the same city, by a company with a similar name. 19 vehicles were produced.

Hard-top Price: $6897, Weight 2470
Convertible Price: $7237

ENGINE: Buick. V-8. Overhead valve. Aluminium block. Displacement: 300 cid. Bore and stroke: 3.75 x 3.40 inches. Compression ratio: 11.0:1. Brake hp: 250 at 4800 rpm. Five main bearings. Hydraulic valve lifters. Carburetor: Rochester model 7024044/5 four-barrel.
POWERTAIN: Four-speed manual transmission.
CHASSIS FEATURES: Wheelbase: 97 inches. Overall length: 178 inches. Front tread: 56 inches. Rear tread: 56 inches. Tire size: 175-400.
OPTIONS: Automatic power-shift transmission. Air conditioning. Borrani chrome plated wire wheels. Magnesium wheels. Pirelli Cinturato high speed tires. AM radio. AM/FM Marine radio.
MANUFACTURER: Vanguard Motors Corp., Dallas, Texas.