1996 Vector Aeromotive M12 Coupe

Gerald Wieger founded Vehicle Design Force in 1978 which later evolved into the Vector Motors Corporation originally based in Wilmington, California. Automobile production by Vector Aeromotive began in 1989 and lasted a few years before coming to a close in 1993.

Following a hostile takeover of the company by the son of an Indonesian dictator and the company Magatech, the Vector M12 was born. Production was moved by Megatech from California to Green Cove Springs, Florida, where the company could share office space with fellow MegaTech-owned automaker Automobili Lamborghini.

The styling of the Vector M1 was loosely based on the stillborn AWX-3. It was based on the Lamborghini Diablo and given many of its mechanical components including the V12 engine. Unlike the Lamborghini, the engine was centrally mounted in front of the gearbox rather than behind it. This was a new setup of the Vector, as the W8 and the AWX-3 had been installed with twin-turbocharged Rodeck V8 engines. The M12's V12 engine was longitudinally mounted while the W8 and AWX-3's engines had been transversely mounted. This meant the cockpit of the M12 was slightly forward than in the AWX-3, resulting in a longer tail and a shorter nose. The 5,707cc Lamborghini V12 engine offered nearly 500 horsepower at 5,200 RPM and 425 lb-ft of torque at 4,900 rpm. Zero-to-sixty mph was accomplished in 4.8 seconds and top speed was achieved at 189 mph.

Peter Stevens was hired to update the design after former company owner Wiegert initiated lawsuits and patented the designs of the AWX-3 to avoid them being reused.

The Vector M12 made its debut in production form at the 1996 Detroit Auto Show.

A total of 17 examples of the M12 were built including three or four pre-production models and 14 production models. The factory converted one of the M12 pre-production cars to motorsport specification, however, its racing pedigree was hindered due to mechanical issues. The car was later converted into the SRV8 which was intended to be the successor to the M12.

This particular example is the fifth built and is the only one painted in this purple paint scheme. Currently, it has 6,000 miles on the odometer.

By Daniel Vaughan | Jan 2020

The Vector Motors Corporation was a California company founded in 1978 by Gerry Wiegert. It started producing over-the-top supercars in 1989. The last Vector car was built in 1999.

The M12 was the car that was developed after the takeover of Vector Aeromotive by Megatech Industries, an Indonesian company. They also acquired Lamborghini and Chrysler in 1994. It received a considerable amount of media attention and earned several major magazine cover features. The M12 was essentially a new body design and a slightly more outrageous version of the Lamborghini Diablo featuring a lengthened chassis. The styling is based on the earlier Vector AWX-3 prototype. The mid-engine, rear-wheel drive Vector weighs in at 3,600 pounds and was manufactured in Jacksonville, Florida.

The M12 was produced from 1995 to 1999, when production was halted, partly due to slow sales and partially because of mismanagement within the company. The average sale price of the vehicle was $184,000.

This purple over-black 1996 Vector M12 is the 5th of just fourteen cars produced in 1996 and the only one built in this color. It is equipped with the 5.7-liter aluminum DOHC Lamborghini V12 motor. With 490 horsepower, it is capable of traveling from 0-60 mph in 4.8 seconds with a top speed of 189 mph.