The car was noteworthy for its gull-wing doors and composite bodywork of color-impregnated acrylic resin bonded to fiberglass.

To promote the car's safety bona fides, the company touted such features as its integrated roll-over structure and energy-absorbing bumpers.

[5] With the support of New Brunswick premier, Richard Hatfield, the provincial government provided $4.5 million of financing.

In 1972 the Bricklin Vehicle Corporation began working with Herb Grasse Design and AVC Engineering to redesign and re-engineer the car.

[10][12] Grasse had also worked with George Barris on the conversion of the 1955 Lincoln Futura show car into the television Batmobile.

[13][14][15] It is claimed that Grasse opted to use the same taillamp units fitted to his personal DeTomaso Pantera for the Bricklin.

[16] These Carello units were also used on cars from Maserati and Lamborghini, but originally appeared on the Alfa Romeo 2000 Berlina.

expected to supply both the large panel press as well as a complete set of water-cooled cast aluminum molds for the 22 body-parts required for the Bricklin, but ultimately Bricklin only bought the press from E.M.C., opting to use epoxy molds for their bodywork.

To address these issues the company brought in polymer expert Archie Hamielec from McMaster University in Hamilton.

[9]: 41, 52 The SV-1 was presented to a gathering of celebrities and potential dealers at the Riviera Hotel Las Vegas in February 1974.

"[30] The SV-1 is a two-door, two-seat hatchback with gull-wing doors, hidden headlamps, and a front-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout.

The acrylic is impregnated with the body's colour, which had the potential to reduce costs, as it eliminated the need for the factory to paint the cars in a separate step.

[33] The doors, which weigh 90 lb (40.8 kg) each, are raised by hydraulic cylinders controlled by switches in the interior, and take up to 12 seconds to open or close.

The front suspension uses A-arms and coil springs and is made up of parts shared with a variety of existing AMC models.

Kelsey-Hayes provided the brake components for Bricklins built from 1974 to early 1975, after which the car used parts from Bendix.

[36] Transmission options for the year are a 3-speed Torque Command automatic (AMC's rebranded TorqueFlite 727) or a BorgWarner T-10 4-speed manual.

Officers found them difficult to get in and out of, and the Arizona heat caused battery issues that would prevent the electrically operated doors from opening.

The unfinished interior model VIN #1339 was bought by former Bricklin Manufacturing Engineering manager Terry Tanner and completed in the style of a Chairman.

The cars were powered by a 3 hp (2.2 kW) Briggs & Stratton gasoline engine and could be ordered in any of the Bricklin factory colours.