The Advantage

Following on from a story we ran on the Recaro Torana (aka Mystere), there were a number of other efforts to produce special vehicles in the late 1970s and early 1980s - some more bizarre than others.

While the Mystere made it to the front cover of Modern Motor, this car, the 'Vantage' appeared on page 15 of Australasian Post, the weekly mag preferred by blokes in barbershops.

This was a curious project based on the Gold Coast by George Broadfoot, a boat builder by profession. The road-registered prototype was optimistically described as looking like 'a cross between a Lamborghini and a Mercedes'.

Broadfoot used several boat construction techniques on the car, including what are described as ‘water ballisters’. Whatever these are they were claimed to improve handling – on land not water.

He also fitted electronically-operated door handles and a rear hatch that allowed the car to double as a campervan (for midgets, maybe). This feature apparently inspired the name Vantage.

What powered the prototype is not mentioned in the story, although the size suggests a small V8 or V6, as does the estimated top speed. Broadfoot claimed that it would get up to 130 mph… 'easily'. That translates to over 210 km/h, or faster than the Mystere.

With a bargain-basement price of $10,000, Broadfoot said he was taking orders on a limited basis. Each one would be hand-made to customer’s specifications, which included the choice of engine and where it was fitted. Tick the box… front, mid or rear.