FEATURED - Alessi AR-1 - new era for an old dream [VIDEO]

Dec 30, 2013

#Alessi #Featured #V8

This story started 35 years ago when there was no internet, tv shows, mobile phones with smart apps. Promotion of ideas and products was an expensive and tantalising task to do back then. Getting public attention and interest with no Facebook, Twitter or regular e-mails was a real quiz to solve.

However, the idea of building own supercar was live back then as it still is today. Perhaps that passion of chasing the dream was more natural than nowadays due to magnificent inspirations from Porsche, Ferrari dominating world motorsport. These two were and still are on top of the most iconic automotive brands ever and creating own contender that could match them is what drives brave men towards success or a complete failure.

One such strong-willed man is Nick Alessi who started a journey of fulfilling his dream in 1977. It took two years to materialize the idea and the AR-1 was officially unveiled at the New York Motor Show in 1979. As Mr. Alessi remembers “back then it was the only way to market any car”. For that purpose a company named Commonwealth Custom Coachbuilders in Lake Green, New York was established together with Mr. Marc Rosen. The duo advertised the car as a “the most impressively styled, carefully engineered and faultlessly handcrafted mid-engine sports cars on the road.” The team was about to hand-build the AR-1 as a work of art made to the highest standards available for the time.

Having the highest level of perfection as a top priority, Commonwealth has made their model to look both sophisticated and simple at the same time. Actually, this has caught attention of media at least for a while since this small company made itself featured on Autoweek of 1977 and World Cars catalogues of 1981 and 1982. Knowing that at the 1977 New York Motor Show was only one another special automobile – the Kanzler Coupe – shown, the AR-1 was a true hit.

Commonwealth built their car around the box tube steel chassis with integrated roll bar while initially offered power aggregate was a GM V6 mated with a ZF five-speed transaxle. However, the potential owner could have made their own choice of the engine to fit, as well. AR-1’s bodywork where wavy lines meet curves was made of hand-laid steel-reinforced fiberglass thus the appropriate strength was assured. In addition to this, the AR-1 featured a racing Nascar fuel cell and automatic fire extinguisher. Furthermore, the car was intended to be a truly unique example for each driver – fully customized to personal taste. Exterior and interior colors, fabrics, upholstery, layouts, T-roof or sunroof could have been chosen. Every single unit of AR-1 must have been a pure perfection of style, quality level and options to choose from. That was the plan.

Commonwealth Custom Coachbuilders led by Mr. Alessi intended to manufacture no more than 50 examples a year and no more than 200 units in total keeping the AR-1 super exclusive, luxurious and expensive automobile. A starting price tag for the car was $45000 or approximately $143000 in current dollars. Real life and true facts, sadly, are much different to these intentions. The company displayed the car at New York Motor Show and Miami Motor Show in 1980, but disappeared in 1983. Before this, only four examples of the AR-1 have been manufactured. Three of them have been sold. The first one which is still owned by Mr. Alessi had Buick Grand National Motor, the second and third one – Porsche 911 and the last one was equipped with Chevrolet 427 cu. in. aggregate.

That was the end for the AR-1 project driven by a real passion and best intentions. 25 years have passed since then and Nick Alessi is living his dream once again. In 2006 he started redoing the original AR-1 and in 2009 a new company – Alessi Fiberglass – was born.

This new outfit is about to follow the same way as it was back then at the end of the 1970s. New moulds have been taken from the old model and a new AR-1 made its first public debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show in 2010. In comparison with the original car, the new one has a revised windshield and larger doors. Anything else regarding the bodywork is the same. However, the technical side of the car is brand new.

The new AR-1 will be powered by a supercharged GM LS3 3.2-liter V8 engine good enough for supercar performance and specifications. Claimed maximum power and torque for a twin-turbocharged model are 700hp and 894 Nm respectively.

Exactly as per old model, the new examples are offered as fully customizable automobiles for their owners to enjoy. Mr. Alessi says that his car is “built for each owner to their specs from drive-train to taillights. there is nothing we can’t do for you; the only things that we will not change are the body and chassis.” Current plans for the new AR-1 are only 50 units in total and there are at least two finished examples already made. The base version of this custom built automobile costs from $300,000 while the most powerful twin-turbo version will ease the wallet by $500,000.

Seeing this one on the street will equal to a miracle, owning it might be a life achievement while building it is a one man’s dream that came true.

Text: www.allcarindex.com

Pictures: Mr. Nick Alessi