Two one of a kind prototypes of the 1993 Vector WX-3 model will be going on an RM Sotheby’s auction on 17th of January in Scottsdale, Arizona.
Vector Motors is the first American car maker to rival European masterpieces like Ferrari and Lamborghini. The Vector WX-3 was unveiled at the 1993 Geneva Auto Show by founder and chief designer Gerald Weigert. The prototype represented the finest achievements in car design and engineering of its time and received international critical acclaim.
Despite its apparent success, WX-3 never went into production, so these two prototypes are the only ones ever built. Weigert kept the vehicles in his personal collection for 25 years, and now, for the first time, the teal WX-3 coupe and purple WX-3R roadster are offered for sale with a suggested price of $500,000 per car.
Gerald Weigert was heavily influenced by the design of military fighter jets. Looking to create the ultimate race car, he borrowed ideas from the aerospace industry and developed his own technology dubbed “Aeromotive Engineering.”
Airspace grade materials and manufacturing techniques were used in the production of the company’s only commercially successful model: Vector W8.
To create the chassis an aluminium frame was epoxy bonded to honeycomb structure floor panels. A total of 5,000 aircraft spec rivets held the individual components together.
The body was constructed almost entirely from carbon fiber and kevlar. The final structure was strong and incredibly lightweight.
The Vector W8 was powered by a racing spec 6.0 L Rodeck V8 engine. The engine was boosted by a twin-turbocharger and produced 625 bhp at 5,700 rpm and 649 lb/ft of torque at 4,900 rpm on 8 psi boost pressure, going up to 14 psi.
The vehicle was successfully tested by Road & Track Magazine, achieving 0-60 mph in 4.2s and estimated top speed of 218 mph. Vector’s own tests point to a top speed of 242 mph, which was reportedly achieved at the Bonneville Salt Flats.
A total of 22 Vector W8 vehicles were produced, 17 of which were sold at $283,750 per unit. The rest included the early W2 prototype, a couple of pre-production models, and the WX-3 and WX-3R prototypes.
In 1993, the company was shaken by a violent takeover by Indonesian company Megatech and Gerald Weigert was ousted (Megatech also owned Lamborghini at the time). In 1995, Vector Motors began production of the M12 model which was a based on the Vector WX-3 and Lamobrghini Diablo. The car did not receive public approval and production stopped in 1999 with 17 units built in total.
After years of court battles, Weigert regained control of Vector Motors and continued working on his dream car. The WX-8 concept car was presented at the 2008 Los Angeles Auto Show. With decades in the making, most critics don’t believe Vector WX-8 will even become a production vehicle.
However, Gerald Weigert’s dream is not dead. If the Vector WX-3 and WX-3R sell at RM Sotheby’s auction, Weigert will use the money to further fund the development of WX-8.
Below you can find behind the scene development photos from Vector’s own website:
