Intermeccanica Apollo GT History

The Apollo GT was a transatlantic collaboration: Intermeccanica hand-formed steel bodies and chassis in Turin to a Franco Scaglione design, then shipped them by sea to Oakland, California, where International Motor Cars installed Buick V8 engines. The 215-cubic-inch aluminum Buick V8 appeared first; later cars used the 300 cubic-inch (4.9-liter) and, in the 5000 GT, a 5.0-liter iron-block Buick unit mated to a 4-speed manual.

Seventy-seven coupés and 11 convertibles were completed between 1961 and 1965 — 88 cars in total, including the alloy prototype and a 2+2 prototype shown at the 1965 New York Auto Show. Leather upholstery, Borrani wire wheels, and a fully Italian body gave the Apollo genuine exotic credentials, but the small distributor network and modest production kept it obscure. It remains a highly regarded piece of 1960s craftsmanship, trading at auction well above six figures.