The Vixen 21 TD Is a Sports Car in Motorhome Disguise From Designer Behind the DeLorean

Dubbed the sports car of motorhomes, the Vixen was designed as a response to the GMC Motorhome but was meant to outdo its rivals in terms of handling, speed, fuel consumption, and drivability. At the time of its introduction in the mid-1980s, it was seen as the "world's best" in the realm of RVs.

Three different types of the Vixen motorhome were built between 1986 and 1989 - the Vixen 21 TD, Vixen 21 SE, and Vixen 21 XC - with an entire run of all models of just 587 vehicles. The example pictured here is an original 1987 Vixen 21 TD in unrestored condition that is offered for sale with just a little over 88,000 miles on the odometer.

Automotive engineer Bill Collins was no stranger to thinking out of the box, so it's no wonder he set his mind on challenging the traditional RV design to create a model that would turn industry standards on their ear.

The idea of designing an RV popped into Collins' mind back in 1973 after going on a two-week family vacation in a rented GMC Motorhome. After realizing the shortcomings of the GMC, he decided to use everything he learned from his previous experiences to make an advanced RV with car-like handling. Collins is said to have developed it in his home garage as his aim was to create a low-volume RV that would neatly fit in the average suburban home's garage for storage.

The Vixen 21 TD was built on a welded steel frame and boasts a lightweight fiberglass body with an unmatched aerodynamic styling. The sleek design with a wedge-like shape and flat tray allowed it to achieve a drag coefficient of just 0,30, which is unmatched in the RV world.

Further highlighting this RV's sporting characteristics are the exceptionally low center of gravity and wide stance for a recreational vehicle. Moreover, the Vixen is surprisingly compact, measuring 21 feet (6.36 meters) in length, 7 feet (2.15 meters) in width, and 6.33 feet (1.93 meters) in height, with a curb weight of 5,100 lbs (2,313 kgs).

In terms of performance, the Vixen takes power from a 2.4-liter turbodiesel inline-six engine sourced from BMW. The mill outputs 115 horsepower (117 ps) and 162 pound-feet (220 Nm) of torque, sending power to the rear wheels through a five-speed manual transmission.

It also boasts independent front and rear suspension and offers excellent handling for an RV. Although not particularly fast by modern standards, the Vixen 21 TD is said to offer a top speed of 100 mph (160 kph) and, back in the day, it was actually the closest you could get to an RV that drove like a sports car.

The lightweight fiberglass body combined with excellent aerodynamics and the efficient turbodiesel engine resulted in class-leading fuel economy, upwards of 30 miles per gallon, to be more precise.

Everyone loved the design when the Vixen 21 TD was first introduced to the market, but very few actually bought it. Only a bit over 300 examples of the 21 TD were sold between 1986 and 1987, one of which is the unit you see here. This is an unrestored survivor that traveled through Arkansas, Arizona, and California before being acquired by the current owner in 2022. It retains the correct BMW turbodiesel engine and 5-speed manual transmission, as well as the full RV interior.

The front cab has a comfortable bucket seat for the driver, who enjoys excellent visibility thanks to the expansive windscreen, along with a passenger bench seat that can accommodate two people. The roof of the Vixen has a section that pops up to allow full standing height inside.

The interior is fitted with everything you would need for a comfortable road trip, including a kitchenette, a lounge/dining area, a double bed in the rear, and a bathroom with hot water. The front passenger bench seat can be rotated to face the second-row bench and form a comfy dining spot, displaying an excellent use of space.

Though it only has a double bed spanning the entire rear of the vehicle, the Vixen can sleep four people with the dinette benches flipped down to form a second bed.

It also comes with fresh and blackwater tanks, a house battery, a refrigerator, a microwave oven, and a Duo-Therm air conditioner. As for more modern features, this example is fitted with a 100-watt solar panel on the rooftop, a Renogy solar charge controller, and a system monitor.

Even after almost 40 years since its original introduction, the Vixen TD 21 recreational vehicle still looks modern and continues to command attention whenever it is spotted at campsites or on the road. If you're on the lookout for a vintage motorhome able to turn more than a few heads, this particular example is now offered for sale out of Ontario, Canada.