Apollo- America´s Ferraris...

[Nortad]

I was surprised to find this, Im a muscler car lover, but always thought americans lacked the gene in their DNA to make graceful looking, sensual cars. I was wrong: In the 60´s there was a company named Apollo (no conection with the modern german Apollo) that made 3models, the 3500, 5000 and Vetta Ventura 5000. They were design by the Italian Franco Scaglietti (who draw many Ferraris and Maseratis of the period) and you can see the similarity with other Italian sports cars (specially the 400 and 500 series Ferraris big GTs) for the company owner named Ron Plescia. They were built between 162 to 67 and aparently only 88 were ever made.

:thumpup:

3500






Buick 3.5l OHV V8 200hp

Weight- 1040 ( an american car from the 60´s that weights a ton!? Now thats rare... LOL! )

0-100kph in 7.5secs topspeed 225kph

3500 Spider



5000 GT



Specs:

Buick Skylark 5.0l V8 OHVwith 250hp

Weight - 1120kg

0-100KPH in 6.8secs and topspeed 241kph

If you now more, please tell

[EVILZ33]

wow i can definitly tell the intalian influence especially in the 3500 spider looks like a ferrari california spider

[dons63apollogt]

Hello! I'm new to this forum, seems like a good one so here I am
Yes I know a lot more about these cars, there has been a 63 Apollo 3500GT in my family for over 40 yrs and I will soon take ownership of this awsome car that I have been riding in since I was 5 or 6 yrs old.
Built by Milt Brown of International Motor Cars in Oakland, Ca.

[GTSAdam]

Very nice cars. Very Euro looking

[TacomaSR5Dave]

Its a cool car, although the proportions look a bit off for the coupe model

[Memphis]

Very nice and buick powered

[dons63apollogt]

Opinions vary on this car and it depends on what car you have seen. This car went through a few changes during its construction and no 2 cars are the exactly same, but very close. These cars were hand pounded in steel around a wooden buck. I believe the early cars were made with a tree stump, still trying to find that out. The bumpers were individually fitted for each car they were that different.
Things like the ride height also changed, they lowered the car and made some suspension geometry changed after the early cars. The windshield length changed and increased another 2" in length, at what point I do not know but I can find out. The heights on the seats changed the early cars had higher seats that had a built in head rest, this is one of those cars. I'm not sure how many inches they took out of them. Milt said "guys were complaining they couldn't get there golf clubs in the back, and they won't fit in the trunk.That back area was meant for the matching luggage, not golf clubs". So they removed the built in head rest.
This being car being number 8 off the assembly line (#1008) has the tall seats, the lowered suspension, the shorter windshield (that is no longer available). This is one of the missing cars that they have no record of history on and there is approximatly "45 coupes in existance". Therefore, I'm going to meet with Milt Brown and Bob Northrup in March to document this car, and measure the seat height for Bob's car number #1003. Bob is missing his seats and his car is under restoration, no one has seen a car with the tall seats or one with the original gas cap since the cars were built.
Here is a pic taken at the beginning of this month when we gave her a bath.

[dons63apollogt]

Here is the info about this car when it hit the news stands. This is all on the net however, I do have a copy of Sports Car Graphic from 1963 and I also have the original pamphlet they hand out at the dealership.

Here was what the Chronicle had to say.

[dons63apollogt]

Here is the 1st magazine that it showed up in in January of 63. This was the Aluminum Bodied Prototype. They eventually made them from steel because they were cheaper to make and also 200 lbs lighter than the aluminum bodies due to there was no support structure needed This was the "American Designed Body", Later Franco Scaglione tweaked it and added the rear windows.

[dons63apollogt]

I thought that rather than me explain all this, I thought I'd let history speak for itself.
Later that year in 63 after a few cars were built and the initial changes were made, Road and Track did some testing.

[dons63apollogt]

Not to be left out, Hot Rod just had to drive it.

[Remirez]

The coupe looks like its ass is dragging. But I love it anyway. Its a great looking car. Definitely very Italian looking, especially with those rims.

[static]

very nice car , get some better pic for your car dons63apollogt

[Nortad]

Originally Posted by dons63apollogt

Opinions vary on this car and it depends on what car you have seen. This car went through a few changes during its construction and no 2 cars are the exactly same, but very close. These cars were hand pounded in steel around a wooden buck. I believe the early cars were made with a tree stump, still trying to find that out. The bumpers were individually fitted for each car they were that different.
Things like the ride height also changed, they lowered the car and made some suspension geometry changed after the early cars. The windshield length changed and increased another 2" in length, at what point I do not know but I can find out. The heights on the seats changed the early cars had higher seats that had a built in head rest, this is one of those cars. I'm not sure how many inches they took out of them. Milt said "guys were complaining they couldn't get there golf clubs in the back, and they won't fit in the trunk.That back area was meant for the matching luggage, not golf clubs". So they removed the built in head rest.
This being car being number 8 off the assembly line (#1008) has the tall seats, the lowered suspension, the shorter windshield (that is no longer available). This is one of the missing cars that they have no record of history on and there is approximatly "45 coupes in existance". Therefore, I'm going to meet with Milt Brown and Bob Northrup in March to document this car, and measure the seat height for Bob's car number #1003. Bob is missing his seats and his car is under restoration, no one has seen a car with the tall seats or one with the original gas cap since the cars were built.
Here is a pic taken at the beginning of this month when we gave her a bath.

Whats the reaction you get from people when you drive it? Do they mistake it for a maserati or a ferrari, or is there any sort of recognition?

[dons63apollogt]

Usually it was, "what kind of car is that?" But 1008 hasn't been driven in I would say 17 or 18 years, since it was last painted and restored. Its been started now and then. I've probably started and ran it more in the past month than it has in 17 yrs total. Yes it is some times mistaken from a frontal view. I rememer once at Laguna Seca in the early 70's it was parked next to a Ferarri 250GT and the owner of it tried to get in the Apollo then he realized.... oops, wrong car. It is a very quick car off the line. I can't find it, but Road and Track had a comparasion of this car with a Jaguar and a Corvette Stingray in 1/4 mile times 0-60 that sort of thing. If I remember right, it beat them both in the 1/4 mile. But this car had 2 different ratios 3.30 and 3.90 rear.
This car is comming back! Bodies will be available soon! Milt Brown me the body panels are being made and the drive train and suspension will Zo6
He is still building the Apollo Monza Spider in aluminum if people want them at $245k+