Exotic Guanci SJJ crops up on sale with near-zero mileage

Hagerty Classics is selling a truly exclusive car known as the Guanci SJJ. The mid-engined sports coupe was designed by John Guanci from Chicago, but never reached mass production. This prototype is the third and last.

We are told that the exterior was penned by Chrysler designer Michael Williams with assistance from the European automotive design legend that’s Alexandro de Tomaso. The result looks unique and at the same time reminiscent of many European cars, many of which Guanci had believed to be its direct rivals on the sports car market of the 1980s.

Bob Mackie, a renowned constructor of platforms for American race cars, designed the chassis and the steel/aluminum monocoque cabin. John Guanci founded his company in 1977 and brought the first SJJ prototype to the Chicago Motor Show of 1979. It garnered positive feedback, but the production never started due to ongoing financial problems. In 1982, the third and final prototype was built, and the project was scrapped shortly afterwards.

All three early cars had different engines. The one seen here originally packed a turbocharged Buick V6, but is now being sold with a 4.0-liter Oldsmobile V8 under the hood. It is linked to a three-speed automatic transmission and sends 254 PS (250 hp / 186 kW) to the wheels.

The Guanci family owned the car until recently, passing it on to a non-profit student organization in early 2024. It still has as little as 336 kilometers (209 miles) on the odometer, largely because it has no state registration and is not street-legal.