Italian coachwork and American V-8 muscle come together in the Exemplar I to make a one-of-a-kind car with copper, bronze, and brass accents. The stylish body hides a Buick 430 cubic inch V-8 engine that makes 360 horsepower and 475 pound-feet of torque. The Exemplar I is a concept car that won awards at shows but has been hidden from the public for most of its life. It is looking for a new owner with a lot of Brasso in the workshop. Most people in the car business think that the Brass Era stopped before World War I. Even though copper and brass look nice, most automakers no longer paint metal trim in any color other than chrome. The Copper Development Association and the Bridgeport Brass Company agreed, and they worked together to create a one-of-a-kind combination of Italian coachwork and American personal car luxury. The Exemplar I is the only concept car that really stands out. You can buy it on Bring a Trailer, which is a part of Hearst Autos that works with Invoice Pricing. Mario Revelli di Beaumont, an underrated Italian car designer, came up with the idea and built it on the body of a Buck Riviera Gran Sport. Carrozzeria Coggliola made the unique coachwork in Turin, and there is more copper on show than on the wire looms of three modern electric vehicles. To understand where the car came from, look at the Intermeccanica 5000GT or Iso Grifo. In the late 1960s, the mixture of Italian coachwork and an American V-8 engine was very powerful. For the brass and copper groups that built this car, it was the perfect billboard. The trim is made of copper. The bottom guards have a brass finish on them. The screen is browned—the metal flaps in the back. The wire wheels are 16 inches across and have a brass finish. Copper is even used to make brake pads. It would be too much if it weren’t for the way it looks, which combines parts of the Alfa-Romeo Montreal, the AMX, and the Lamborghini Miura to make a long, low car. There is room for an extra tire in front of the V-8 engine under the very long hood. The big winner is the inside, which has been completely redone and now has copper accents and red and black leather all over. It must be very hard to keep everything in good shape, but it looks very luxurious when compared to modern rooms with piano black plastic trim and touchscreens. The inside of this one-of-a-kind car gives current car designers ideas. The Exemplar is the kind of ICBM-meets-sofa that America did so well in the late 1960s. It has a 430-cubic-inch V-8 engine that makes 360 horsepower and 475 pound-feet of torque, along with a Positraction rear axle and a three-speed automatic gearbox. It was shown to awed crowds at the New York Auto Show and other events, but it was taken out of service when the 1970s started. It was bought by Herman Steinkraus, head of the Bridgeport Brass Company, and he kept it for 20 years. After that, it was put away for another 25 years before it was brought back to life. At the Amelia Island Concours, the Exemplar won its class. The Exemplar is a unique luxury car that is sure to get plenty of attention. Since Buick has running gear under the car, it should also be easy to keep up its standing by being able to roll onto the show grounds on its power. Due to the very low mileage (only 1800 miles shown), entering it in an antique touring competition would be fun. Making all that brass and bronze shine in the shed on the weekends will be fun for the new owner, at the very least. The sale ends April 15.
