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Vector Motors was Gerald Wiegert’s attempt to create an American supercar on his own terms. The result, the Vector W8, combined a wedge-shaped composite body, a twin-turbo V8 and an aircraft-inspired cockpit with extremely low production and a troubled company behind it. Its story runs from a personal design project in the 1970s through several corporate entities, a handful of customer cars, disputed control of the business and an unbuilt successor called the WX-3.
Gerald Wiegert’s long road to a Vector
Road & Track’s account of Wiegert’s early work says he had been pursuing the idea of a dramatic American sports car since 1971. He displayed a full-size mock-up at the Los Angeles Auto Expo in 1976, then completed a running prototype in 1978 from salvaged and sourced components. Those milestones describe a design and engineering project, not yet a continuously operating production automaker.
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The Los Angeles Times reported that Wiegert completed the first Vector in 1980 with money from himself and friends. Raising enough capital proved difficult. The original Vector Car limited partnership eventually went out of business in 1987. Later that year, Vector Aeromotive was formed and acquired Vector Car’s assets, creating a new corporate vehicle for the same broad ambition.
A November 1988 stock offering improved the company’s financial position, according to the Times. By October 1990, the newspaper reported that about $16 million had been spent designing, marketing and building the Vector and its plant. That spending helps explain both the car’s elaborate presentation and the financial pressure surrounding a project built in very small numbers.
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The W8: an American supercar with an aerospace vocabulary
The production W8 was a two-seat, mid-engine supercar presented around aerospace ideas and materials. Contemporary reporting described composite body construction, steel-braided lines, aircraft-style fasteners and a cockpit-like instrument panel as Vector features. Those details established the car’s identity, but they should not be read as proof that every component was aircraft-certified or automatically superior to conventional automotive engineering.
Engine and transmission
Road & Track described a 6.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8 derived from a small-block design, using a Rodeck aluminum block. Power was sent through a three-speed automatic transmission with roots in the Oldsmobile Toronado layout. The unusual combination reflected Vector’s effort to package extreme output in a road car while relying on components that could be sourced or adapted for a tiny-volume program.
Interior and design
The W8’s low, sharp-edged body and wraparound instrumentation made it look more like a science-fiction cockpit than a conventional grand tourer. The visual drama was intentional: Wiegert said, “I like exciting things. I don’t like boring things. That’s why I don’t design toilet seats,” in a 1990 Los Angeles Times interview. The car’s presentation was part of the product, not merely decoration around an engine.
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What the W8 actually achieved on test
Published numbers mix independent measurements with Vector’s own claims. Car and Driver’s May 1991 test, reproduced in a later retrospective, recorded the following results:
| Measure | Figure | What it represents |
|---|---|---|
| 0–60 mph | 3.8 seconds | Car and Driver test result |
| Quarter-mile | 12.0 seconds at 118 mph | Car and Driver test result |
| Skidpad | 0.91 g | Car and Driver test result |
| Engine output | 625 hp | Manufacturer claim reported by Car and Driver |
| Top speed | 218 mph | Manufacturer claim printed with the test; not a measured Car and Driver top speed |
The same test narrative described a prototype transmission failure and overheating during subsequent testing. Those incidents are evidence of the development car’s problems, not proof that every customer W8 behaved identically. They do, however, show why the W8’s promotional figures need to be separated from independently recorded results.
From prototypes to customer deliveries
The Los Angeles Times reported that the first W8 shipment went to Switzerland in 1990 for a Saudi Arabian prince. Road & Track’s 1991 feature described Vector preparing customer cars and testing the model as the company tried to turn a long-running project into a functioning business. Wiegert summarized the intended strategy in that feature: “The idea is to build a reputation, not ride on one.”
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There is no definitive public production ledger in the sources available for this history. The figures below are therefore source-specific rather than a final lifetime total:
| Source and date | Reported number | Qualification |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles Times, March 1993 | 22 W-8s produced; 19 sold | Figures reported during the control dispute |
| Road & Track retrospective, 2021 | 20 examples | Number attributed to Wiegert |
The difference may reflect whether a source counted prototypes, unfinished cars, production cars or sold examples. It is more accurate to cite the relevant report and date than to present one number as the unquestionable final total.
Why Vector Aeromotive came under pressure
Low volume alone did not determine Vector’s fate. The company also had to finance tooling, facilities, development and customer support before it had a substantial stream of deliveries. The Los Angeles Times reported a fiscal 1992 loss of $4 million on $1.2 million in revenue. Those are period figures reported by the newspaper, not a complete audited history of every Vector entity.
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- Color options: Click the yellow 'Customize' button to select from additional color options.
- Custom designs: Can’t find the car(s) you’re looking for? We create custom designs! Contact us for a quote.
- Original Artwork: We’re a small family business of car enthusiasts, dedicated to hand illustrating quality car posters. Your purchase supports an independent, family-owned operation.
- More designs: We offer a wide variety of car poster designs, featuring all major makes and models. Our prints make the perfect gift for any car enthusiast!
In 1993, Wiegert was ousted in a confrontation with board members and challenged that change, while other participants asserted competing claims about corporate control. The available account records the opposing positions rather than supplying a complete court or corporate history. The dispute also exposed disagreements over the next model’s price and direction.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.The WX-3: a successor that never reached production
Vector planned WX-3 coupe and roadster versions during the 1993 dispute. The Los Angeles Times reported those plans alongside the company’s W8 production and financial figures. Road & Track’s 2021 retrospective characterizes the WX-3 as a proposed successor that did not enter production under Wiegert’s original vision.
That outcome mattered because Vector needed a next-generation car to keep attention and investment moving forward, yet the business was already dealing with losses and a leadership fight. The WX-3 therefore became part of Vector’s legacy as much for what it represented as for what customers could buy: an intended continuation that never became a regular production model.
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What happened to Vector Motors after the W8?
Vector did not develop into a sustained, high-volume American supercar manufacturer. Its early partnership ended, Vector Aeromotive inherited the assets, the W8 reached only a small number of customers, and the control dispute fractured the company’s direction. The WX-3 remained unbuilt under Wiegert’s original plan.
The W8 nevertheless survived as a collector and pop-culture object. Road & Track has also reported continuing maintenance issues for owners and scarce parts. That combination creates a distinctive ownership reality: rarity can make the car historically important, but it does not guarantee easy servicing, plentiful components or modern manufacturer support.
How to understand Vector’s legacy
An engineering ambition
Wiegert pursued a highly individual interpretation of an American supercar: mid-engine packaging, turbocharged power, exotic materials and an interior designed to feel like a flight deck. The W8’s measured acceleration and handling figures show that the concept was not merely styling.
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The same project required substantial capital, struggled to achieve volume and became entangled in a control fight. Period losses, disputed leadership and the absence of a production successor limited Vector’s ability to turn a compelling car into a durable company.
A car whose numbers need context
The W8’s 3.8-second 0–60-mph run, 12.0-second quarter-mile and 0.91-g skidpad result were magazine measurements. Its 625-hp output and 218-mph top speed were manufacturer claims as reported by Car and Driver. Keeping those categories separate is essential to an honest account of what the W8 achieved.
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