America's Lost V8 Supercar Was Meant To be A Corvette Killer With A Chevy Heart

By Lou Cataldo

When thinking about American sports cars, the Chevrolet Corvette is the first name that comes to mind: its place of pride in the US market has held steady for decades, seemingly uninterrupted. There have, however, been stages in history when the Corvette’s cultural power wasn’t so strong, with other cars threatening to steal its throne. In the mid-70s, as the Corvette struggled to find its place in a changing automotive landscape amid new environmental regulations, one man attempted to create something that would take its place: the Guanci SJJ, an experimental prototype dreamed up by a businessman with no automotive experience.

The SJJ did not make it to the production stage and, of course, never ended up taking the Corvette’s place. The few cars built were consigned to the archives of automotive history, and today even hardcore enthusiasts are unlikely to know of its existence. Let’s explore the unique history of this lost sports car.

Meet The Guanci SJJ

The Guanci SJJ was built in 1979 and unveiled at the Chicago Auto Show in the same year. It was the brainchild of Chicago-based businessman John Guanci, who had no previous experience building cars but recruited a team of experienced designers and engineers to make his dream happen. The goal was to create a car that merged American power and dependability with the aesthetic design and driving characteristics of European cars.

The newly-assembled team at Guanci included race car constructor Bob McKee, automotive designer Mike Williams (who had previously worked with Chrysler), and fiberglass expert Steve Norcross. Thanks to Guanci’s investment, the team quickly began work on a prototype: Williams created a design inspired by iconic European sports cars, which Norcross translated into a concrete reality through the use of fiberglass molds.

McKee, meanwhile, took care of the mechanical aspect, making sure the new creation was as fast and reliable as it was good-looking. Alessandro de Tomaso, famous for having founded the brand that brought us the Pantera and Mangusta, was also recruited in an unspecified consultant role.

The team worked around the clock to have a car ready in time for the Auto Show: in the end, two cars were able to be presented. When it came to choosing a name for the car, Guanci combined his family’s initials (his wife, Susan, and his children, John and Joseph), naming the car the SJJ. This also had the incidental effect of evoking the name of another iconic sports car from America’s automotive past: the Duesenberg SSJ, made famous by Hollywood actors Gary Cooper and Clark Gable.

However, despite enjoying good popularity with show-goers, the cars had an eye-watering price tag of $54,000, which is nearly $250,000 in today’s money. This made even deep-pocketed prospective buyers skeptical, since Guanci had no established reputation in the industry. The two prototypes presented in Chicago (plus a third car built in 1982) would remain the only Guanci SJJs in existence.

The Guanci SJJ's Design And Components

The team at Guanci may have designed the SJJ to beat the Corvette at its own game, but it did borrow its engine: more specifically, the optional 5.7-liter L82 V8 unit available in the third-generation ‘Vette. This engine produced 250 hp, and was installed in the first two SJJ prototypes to be built. For the third car, Guanci struggled to source another L82 engine, and opted for a 3.8-liter turbocharged V6 sourced from a Buick Riviera instead.

There isn't a large amount of in-depth information available about the mechanical aspect of the SJJ, but we do know it had a fully independent suspension with custom shocks. Aside from the L82 engine, it also borrowed a handful of other components from the Corvette, such as front uprights and brakes. It was, however, designed entirely from scratch, despite rumors stating it was based on other models such as the De Tomaso Pantera. The SJJ did take visual inspiration from several models of the era, but wasn’t fully based on any of them specifically.

What Happened To The Guanci SJJ?

Shortly after the Chicago Auto Show, the sudden death of one of John Guanci’s business partners gave a shock to the small company’s finances, putting it in an even more precarious position. At the same time, the American automotive industry struggled to find its feet among difficult economic circumstances, and no backers could be found for a V8-powered supercar that cost five times as much as a Corvette. The company’s last manufacturing effort would be the third SJJ prototype, completed three years after the first two.

Read the full article on CarBuzz

This article originally appeared on CarBuzz and is republished here with permission.