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You Can Have a 60-Year-Old "American Ferrari" Apollo 3500 GT for Less Than a New Ferrari

The beginning of this year brings to collectors a rare piece of American grand tourer icon. Apollo program’s objective was to bring people on the Moon, while this Apollo 3500 GT Coupe’s goal was to give joy to people here on Earth. You can now find out why this auctioning car is so special.
1963 Apollo 3500 GT Coupe 41 photos
Photo: RM Sotheby's
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Chassis No. 1004 is the second Apollo 3500 GT Coupe ever produced, out of an original batch of 41 units. As a matter of fact, it is the third, if you also count the prototype which made possible the brief existence of this Italian-American sports cars brand.

High on collector’s radar lately

After an Apollo 3500 GT Spyder claimed first place in the Postwar Touring Open (O-2) class at the prestigious 2022 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, the “American Ferrari” is currently experiencing ascendant marque interest.

Why is it Apollo 3500 GT called “The American Ferrari”? More about that in a second. For now, go to photo gallery and admire this nice jewel, which is believed to have been sold new by Phil Hill Buick of Hollywood, California, in 1963.

Its hood, doors and trunk are all aluminum, a feature reportedly exclusive to the earliest GT examples. It also wears a nicely kept older restoration which adds much to its vintage allure.

1963 Apollo 3500 GT Coupe
Photo: RM Sotheby's
The handsome dark red exterior finish highlights the polished Borrani wheels wrapped in period-correct Michelin X radial tires. The interior sumptuous black upholstery and the factory-correct heavy-grain vinyl headlining are well kept.

The car has been regularly exercised and carefully stored, and that explains the pretty high starting bid sum of $150,000-$200,000 expected for the auction on Thursday, January 26, 2023. Ok, it won’t make it to the list of the most expensive auctioned cars, but there’s a big chance for a surprise six figures.

Nice history for a bold dream

They made a movie about Ford defeating Ferrari at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1966. They made a movie about Lamborghini’s ambition to overcome Ferrari. Maybe they will make a movie about an American engineer’s dream to create an American grand tourer icon as well.

Milt Brown was just one of many young engineers of the ‘60s who were dreaming to create a sports car to compete with big names like Europe's Ferrari, Jaguar, or Maserati.

For most of the dreamers that were shooting to the Moon, the wakeup call was terrible. Building a car and making a business out of it is a very down-to-earth mission. The thing is Brown’s dream came true. At least, for a short while.

When in high school, this ambitious North Californian was driving an MG TD and was already developing a racing car. At just 17 years old. Ten years later, just like Microsoft’s “born in a garage” story, three friends - Milt Brown, Ron Plescia, and Ned Davis – created the Apollo brand.

1963 Apollo 3500 GT Coupe
Photo: RM Sotheby's
It was aimed to compete established import Italian and British sports cars. The three friends noticed that those fancy and exotic sports cars were less than trustworthy. So, Apollo was meant to build performance cars that were both reliable and more affordable. Now that’s a challenge.

After college graduation, Brown developed his skills as an engineer in England, with a small race car builder named Emeryson. Back in the States, Plescia was following prestigious Art Center of Pasadena courses, while Davis became a business specialist.

By chance, Milt Brown met Frank Reisner at the Monaco Grand Prix. Reisner was a Hungary-born, Canada-raised, US-educated engineer who moved to Turin, Italy, where he set up coach building firm Carrozzeria Intermeccanica.

Reisner told Brown that he could build a prototype of Brown’s dream car for a mere five grand, ten times less than other suppliers. This jumpstarted the creation of the Apollo Italian-American GT.

Technical beast, business disaster

While Plescia was drawing a curvaceous body, reminding both of Ferrari 250 Speciale and Jaguar E-Type, Brown found the best underpinnings for the new GT.

The 1961 Buick Special offered a really advanced suspension for the ‘60s, a four-link trailing arm with coil springs, as opposed to the much basic leaf-springs on a live rear axle used by Ferrari and Maserati.

Buick’s engine was also appropriate for what Brown had in mind. The 215 cubic-inch (3.5-liter) aluminum V8 had 205 bhp (202 hp / 205 ps) and was also a light unit with its only 318 lbs. (144 kg). Brown tweaked its power to 225 bhp (228 hp / 231 ps) and coupled it to a Borg Warner T-10 four-speed gearbox.

With the help of finance specialist Davis, the trio sent the mock-up of the body designed by Plescia, along with the chassis put in place by Brown to Carrozzeria Intermeccanica. A year later, the prototype came back in Oakland, and it debuted at Bev Spencer Buick in San Francisco.

The public was wowed by the American made GT, so the three friends decided to start production, with a firm commitment of two cars per month and a starting budget of only $21,000, mostly donations from family members and friends.

Back in Turin, Reisner called the famed Franco Scaglione to tweak the design, while Zagato suppliers built the bodies for Apollo, completely by hand. That’s why Apollo cars are praised for their highest quality workmanship, even after more than half a century.

1963 Apollo 3500 GT Coupe
Photo: RM Sotheby's
The new Apollo GT was launched in Hollywood, in March, 1963, at nearly $7,000, between Jaguar and Ferrari. And the press was astounded by its quality build, its handling, and most of all, for its reliability, as well as low maintenance costs. It was practically an instant hit.

Unfortunately, the three friends’ International Motor Cars company ran out of capital after building just 41 cars, plus the prototype. Brown sold intellectual property to other couch builders, who continued production, with a total of 88 units produced to date by all entities.

So that now, 60 years later, Apollo cars are suddenly among rare collectibles, especially for those in love with American cars for the soul. This specimen surely is worth the money that a lucky enthusiast will gladly pay for a piece of American motoring history.
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About the author: Oraan Marc
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After graduating college with an automotive degree, Oraan went for a journalism career. 15 years went by and another switch turned him from a petrolhead into an electrohead, so watch his profile for insight into green tech, EVs of all kinds and alternative propulsion systems.
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