As a car collector, you are always on the constant lookout for exotic vehicles to add to your automobile collection. While the corvette or the Porsche 917k is an excellent model, you should seriously consider adding a Bradley GT to the collection of cars in your garage.
You might be wondering why we are advocating for this automobile masterpiece from Bradley Automotive. It is simply because the Bradley GT possesses all the components you would want in a classic car and even more. As far as age is concerned, this car has been around for a while. It officially came out in the fall of 1970 as the pioneering model of the Bradley GT series.
When it comes to historical moments too, the Bradley GT isn’t lagging. Its name has been etched in memories of an average American citizen that lived through the ’80s. From magazine covers to newspaper columns, the Bradley GT was a huge sensation back in the day. So what exactly makes it so unique, and why should you have one in your garage?
We will get into that, but first, we need to give you insights as to what the car really is and the quirks it embodies so that you will appreciate it more.
What is the Bradley GT?
The Bradley GT was the first car sold by the Bradley Automotive company – an American automotive company that built and sold kit cars between 1970 – 1981.
Bradley wanted to inspire the youthful spirit of building your own stuff, and that is why their initial design of the GT was in kit form with different completeness levels. Then, you can assemble the car by yourself and customize it to your taste. They also made the vehicle available in an already assembled form.
The structure of the GT is quite fascinating – a two-seat coupe with low curved sides and no doors. Its pair of frameless plastic panels which extends into the roof of the car means that it offers protection against adverse weather. The door of the Bradley GT is modeled after the earlier version of the Mercedes 300SL- hinged up gull-wing style, making the GT aesthetically pleasing to the eye.
Being a kit car, the Bradley GT incorporates several parts from other cars built in large volumes. For example, the windshield is from the 1967 Corvette, its 2,400 mm (94.5 in) wheelbase from a donor vehicle (usually a Volkswagen Beetle), and so on. However, the body of the GT is laid up in fiberglass but excellently engineered to mount on any unmodified car chassis.
For the Bradley GT, the front and rear tracks could vary depending on the builder’s choice of wheels and tires. Suspension Front and rear are via the Volkswagen transverse torsion bars and trailing arms. Likewise, the default power-train is the air-cooled four-cylinder boxer engine and four-speed manual transmission with swing axles from the donor Beetle.
One consequence of this reuse of common parts is that many parts for the GT remain in abundant supply.Therefore, you can easily change its body part whenever there is a need for repair.
Features and Specifications of the Bradley GT
Not only does the Bradley GT come with an aesthetic and aerodynamic structure, but it also comes with other excellent features and specifications. However, most of these specifications (especially engine specs) are dependent on the donor vehicle, which is usually the Volkswagen Beetle.
Dimension
| Wheelbase | 95.3 inches (2420 mm) |
| Track/Tread (front): | 54.3 inches (1379 mm) |
| Track/Tread (rear) | 53.2 inches (1352 mm) |
| Length | 160.6 inches (4080 mm) |
| Width | 62.4 inches (1585 mm) |
| Height | 59.1 inches (1500 mm) |
| Ground Clearance | 6.3 inches ( 160 mm) |
| Length: Wheelbase ratio | 1.69 |
| Kerb weight | 1918 lb (870 kg) |
| Fuel Tank Capacity | 10.6 gals. (40 liters) |
Engine
| Engine Type | Naturally aspirated petrol |
| Cylinders | flat 4 |
| Capacity | 1.6 liter
1584 cc 96.662 cu in |
| Bore × Stroke | 3.37 × 2.72 in (85.5 × 69 mm) |
| Bore/Stroke Ratio | 1.24 |
| Valve Gear | overhead valve (OHV)
2 valves per cylinder 8 valves in total |
| Maximum Power Output | (DIN) 51 PS (50 bhp) (37 kW)
at 4000 |
| Specific Output | (DIN) 31.6 bhp/litre
0.52 bhp/cu in |
| Maximum Torque | (DIN) 106 Nm (78 ft·lb) (10.8 kgm)
at 2800 RPM |
| Specific Torque | (DIN) 66.92 Nm/litre
0.81 ft·lb/cu3 |
| Compression Ratio | 7.5:1 |
| Fuel System | 1 So carb |
| BMEP (Brake Mean Effective Pressure) | 840.9 kPa (122 psi) |
| Crankshaft Bearings | 4 |
| Engine Coolant | Air |
| Unitary Capacity | 396 cc |
| Aspiration | Normal |
| Compressor | N/A |
| Intercooler | None |
| Catalytic Converter | N |
These specifications are common to the Bradley GT because they are mostly mounted on Volkswagen chassis. There are other variations of these specifications; however, they are not too different from the one above.
What makes the Bradley GT Special?
Now that you are drawn to the full range of specifications that come with this car, you are probably turning the question of what makes the Bradley GT so special to the point of getting one in your garage? Well, there are many perks to owning the car. Read on to explore the beautiful world of the Bradley GT even further.
The most fascinating thing about the Bradley GT is the memory. Most iconic classic cars that have stood the test of time and are so valued because, at some point in history, they made an impact, and the Braley GT is no different. This classic car has been featured in some Hollywood blockbusters such as Friday, return to justice, and grand theft auto.
Apart from being on the good book of history, the Bradley GT has also been featured on best selling magazines over the years and was a popular household name among the American people in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s. It has been owned by iconic people too, like Władziu Valentino Liberace, a famous American pianist from Wisconsin.
Another reason why you need to get this car in your garage is because of its customizability. No two Bradleys are quite the same, fundamentally, maybe, but as a whole, not so much. This is because the Bradley gives the owners the chance to customize their own car themselves. As a result, you see different designs and fittings throughout the Bradley GT community.
Last but not least, this classic car is quite rare. In its 11 years of production, only 6,000 cars were made, the majority of which are lost. Getting a Bradley in your garage gives you the chance to be amongst the elite percentage of car owners with this classic automobile in their collection.
Conclusion
The Bradley GT is widely sought after by car enthusiasts because of its easy customizability, full range specification and the fact that it is a vintage car which has stood the test of time. If you love exotic cars, your garage is incomplete without a model of the Bradley GT
