Today’s car is the 1964 Apollo 3500 GT owned by Stewart Shackley, that I photographed at the Manhattan Beach Cars & Coffee at The Point, in El Segundo, CA. The Apollo GT is an Italian/American grand tourer, initially marketed from 1962 to 1964 by International Motor Cars in Oakland, California. Apollo was founded by the trio Milt Brown, Ron Plescia, and Ned Davis. Ron Plescia-designed the steel body which received styling tweaks by Franco Scaglione. The car was built in Turin, Italy by Frank Reisner’s Intermeccanica before being shipped to Oakland, CA, for final assembly.
The car is finished in red with a black interior with a combination of wool carpet, vinyl door panels and dash, leather seats and lap belts, and a wood-rimmed steering wheel. It is powered by a 225 hp 215 cu in, aluminum Buick “Fireball ” V8, weighing in at only 318 lbs. This car was fitted with the unusual 2-speed Hydramatic that was used on mid-sized GM cars (Olds, Buick and Pontiac) between 1961 and 1967, and a 3.36:1 rear axle. Slowing this beauty down are disc brakes up front, and finned drums in the rear. It features a ladder-frame chassis with suspension components sourced from a compact 1961 Buick Special. The chrome Borrani wire wheels feature three-eared knock-offs.
A total of 88 Apollos (including one 2+2 and 11 open top Spiders were built during the two year run. In 1968, a 1963 Apollo 3500 GT appeared in the movie The Love Bug as the Thorndyke Special, a race car that lost to Herbie, the Love Bug. The MSRP was around $7,000.00. The claimed top speed of 140 MPH with a 0-60 mph time of 7.5 Seconds. This is a rare car that would be great to take to an Italian/American event, Cars & Coffee events, or for a drive up the coast to peak automobile aficionados interests as you drive by! Thank you for riding along. Frank
