The sports car manufacturer Vector, founded by Jerry Wiegert, built some of the most uncompromising supercars of the 1990s. But like many others, it fell victim to financial and legal problems. Now four of the most radical Vectors are being auctioned at RM Sotheby’s Monterey auction.
When we think of American supercars of the 1990s, one particular manufacturer is likely to spring to mind first: the ambitious but short-lived Vector brand from Wilmington, California. Like many other aspiring supercar builders of the 1990s and 2000s, its founder, Gerald Alden “Jerry” Wiegert (1944-2021), struggled to turn Vector into a profitable company. Let’s not forget that these years were also financially troubled for Porsche and Lamborghini. But before Vector finally closed its doors for good, the brand rolled out a highly limited and exclusive series of the wildest cars ever to hit the road. With interest in collector cars from the 1990s on the rise, now could be the perfect time to put a Vector or two in your garage. Especially since four of the best examples – all from the fabulous Turbo collection – will be auctioned at the RM Sotheby’s Monterey auction on August 16th. Read on to learn more about each of these amazing Vectors!
1991 VectorW8
Wiegert, an American born in Dearborn with German roots, described Vector as an “aeromotive” company. And as such, he defined his models – and the W8 – as a starfighter for the road. No expense was spared in the design of this rocket, especially not the engine: a transversely mounted 6.0-liter Rodeck V8 with 600 hp, twin-charged by two Garret AiResearch turbos. Only 20 of these roadworthy rocket ships were produced, each of which cost the equivalent of almost $500,000 when new.
Aside from the unusual wedge-shaped polygon design—which could have been designed by Marcello Gandini!—the W8 had a few unique features, including a gearshift and handbrake placed between the driver’s seat (Recaro) and door, and a then-rare Sony 10-disc CD changer instead of a passenger airbag. The W8’s cockpit boasted a real fighter jet display to show vehicle information in real time. There was also a knob just below the screen to manually adjust boost pressure. This Vector can do the quarter-mile sprint in an impressive twelve seconds—over two seconds faster than a Ferrari Testarossa. And any death-defying pilot will note that the W8’s top speed is well over 200 mph (320 km/h).
Completed in 1991, this car, serial number 009, is the only W8 finished in purple over a full black leather interior, a color combination that we think suits this US supercar perfectly. In March 2023, Vector’s former Chief of Engineering, David Kostka, gave this W8 a thorough overhaul. With a current mileage of just 2,643 miles (4,252 kilometers), this is an extremely rare opportunity to add one of only 17 Vector W8s built to your collection.
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1993 Vector Avtech WX-3 Prototype
Following the relative success of the W8, Vector presented the Avtech WX-3 prototype at the 1992 Geneva Motor Show. A stand-alone model that was not yet drivable but fully equipped and, at that time, still painted silver. Like the W8, the structure of the coupe was made of state-of-the-art materials such as carbon fiber, aluminum honeycomb and Kevlar; reinforced by an integrated roll cage. In terms of design, the WX-3 deviated from the angular shapes of the W8 in favor of a more curvy design language typical of the 1990s.
At the Geneva Motor Show the following year, Wiegert presented a further development of the WX-3, now equipped with a 7.0-liter twin-turbo V8 in all-aluminum construction and (conservatively estimated) 1,000 hp. This should enable the sprint from 0 to 96 km/h in just 3.3 seconds and a top speed of 248 mph (400 km/h). Inside, the WX-3 was clearly based on the W8’s foundations, with the same fighter jet display that still showed the W8’s side profile. However, there were changes to the seating arrangement in the form of an unusual three-seater bench seat in black leather with turquoise-green piping to match the (new) exterior color.
Despite (or perhaps because of?) the hefty price tag of $765,000, the WX-3 never made it past the prototype stage, especially since a hostile takeover attempt by the Indonesian government-backed company MegaTech stalled development and as a result Wiegert was fired from his own company! After a legal dispute, he later regained the rights to the WX-3 design and the two prototypes that still exist. The coupe’s previous owner had the car restored for $300,000 from 2019 to 2022 at Miller Motorcars of Greenwich, Connecticut, with a focus on refreshing the interior and mechanical components. Today, this unique Avtech WX-3 prototype wears the same stunning turquoise paint job that stunned visitors to the Geneva Motor Show in 1993. And represents a unique opportunity to acquire the last model from America’s first true supercar manufacturer.
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1993 Vector Avtech WX-3R Roadster Prototype
As mentioned, Vector only built two WX-3s before the aforementioned minor legal dispute with the son of an Indonesian dictator. And this is the other car: the only WX-3R roadster in existence. Wiegert had a range of engines in mind for the WX-3, and so, unlike the coupe, the open-top car received a less powerful but still fearsome 6.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8, conservatively rated at 625bhp.
While the roadster shared many similarities with the coupe under the skin, its design was even more extreme thanks to the aggressively angled windshield that flowed seamlessly into the side windows. The low side profile was further accentuated by a rear spoiler that was mounted lower than the coupe, while in the interior the three seats were replaced by two comfortable Recaro buckets. As with the coupe, the engine sent its concentrated power to the drive axle via a Turbo-Hydramatic 425 automatic from General Motors. The top speed was said to have been over 200 mph (a good 320 km/h).
This WX-3R, which was sold in 2019 along with the coupe from Wiegert’s collection, also benefited from a comprehensive restoration at Miller Motorcars worth $116,000. Today, this unique roadster still wears its show car color Amethyst Purple over a newly upholstered interior in black leather and purple crocodile skin. As with the previous Vector models, the dashboard, which is very reminiscent of an airplane cockpit, is striking. Also worth mentioning is the astonishingly high mileage of over 89,000 miles: apparently a trick by Wiegert to convince potential customers in Geneva of the car’s reliability. In reality, this unique specimen, as the work of the restorers also revealed, has probably covered far fewer kilometers.
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1996 VectorM12
The Vector M12, presented at the Detroit Motor Show in 1996, was the company’s first super sports car under its new owner MegaTech. Its exterior was closely based on the design of the WX-3 and was based on a modified Lamborghini Diablo undercarriage. While the WX-3 was still equipped with Vector’s own V8, the M12 again used the Diablo parts warehouse for its naturally aspirated V12. Even though the M12 was far from the 1,000 hp promised for the WX-3, almost 500 hp still made it one of the most fearsome supercars of its time.
MegaTech had moved operations from Southern California to a suburb of Jacksonville, Florida, where it was housed in the same building as Lamborghini’s North American branch. MegaTech had just acquired Lamborghini from Chrysler and hoped to develop an American-Italian supercar in the new constellation. Interestingly, MegaTech had difficulty paying Lamborghini for the V12 engines and eventually offered a Vector W8 as compensation – which the Sant’Agata company surprisingly accepted. MegaTech later sold Lamborghini to Audi, whereupon the supply of the V12 engine ended and Vector essentially closed its doors. Until Wiegert finally managed to regain control of the company and make a fresh start with the WX-8 show car shown at the 2007 LA Auto Show – which, however, never went into production.
This 1996 Vector M12 is the fifth of just 17 examples from this turbulent era, with only 14 being considered full-fledged “production models.” Featuring an instrument panel that no longer resembled an airplane cockpit, but featured parts from the time when Lamborghini was still owned by Chrysler. As the only purple example, this model has only been driven 6151 miles (=9896 kilometers) and is ready to be enjoyed by its next owner.
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