New Brunswick’s foray into the modern automobile industry was the short-lived, mid-1970s manufacture of the Bricklin SV-1. Thanks to the generosity of an anonymous donor, an important piece of the story has been added to the New Brunswick Museum collection.
The beginning of the Bricklin story in the province is associated with this 1973 painting by Herb Grasse, chief designer for Bricklin Vehicle Corporation. The work previously belonged to the Fredericton Press Club where both Premier Richard Hatfield and Malcolm Bricklin were associate members.
After a failed attempt to interest the province of Quebec in supporting the manufacture of the Bricklin SV-1, Malcolm Bricklin turned his attention to New Brunswick.
The artist, Herb Grasse (1945-2010), who graduated from the Art Centre College of Design in California, worked as a designer for automobile manufacturing companies including Dodge Styling Studios (1968) and the Ford Motor Company (1970-1972). From 1973 to 1975, he worked for the Bricklin Vehicle Corporation and in early 1973, he created this dynamic rendition of a Bricklin SV-1 to capture the attention of a potential investor, New Brunswick Premier Richard Hatfield.
The pitch worked and Hatfield firmly supported the new enterprise that he hoped would not only project a forward-looking image but would also help move the province into a more modern industrial economy.
Herb Grasse (American, 1945 – 2010) for the Bricklin Vehicle Corporation
Painting: Bricklin SV-1, 1973
Acrylic on illustration board
48 × 73 cm
Anonymous gift, 2025 (2025.7)
New Brunswick Museum Collection