This 1980 Bradley GTE Electric belongs to a production run of 50 units and might be the only surviving example, which could well justify the $4,900 USD asking price despite its shabby condition.
In the distant seventies, Bradley produced the GT Coupe, a custom car based on stock Volkswagen Beetle chassis and a unique glass-fiber plastic body. Five years after the premiere, the GT II came out with gullwing doors imitating those of the Mercedes-Benz 300SL. Fast-forward another five years, and the company launched the GTE Electric in a last-ditch effort to save itself from bankruptcy.
Gone was the VW flat-four engine, and a General Electric motor governed by a General Motors control unit took up its place under the hood. An array of 16 lead-acid batteries supplied 96V of power in Boost mode and half that in Cruise mode for more driving range. A 17th battery was used to power the car’s other systems, such as lighting, audio and windshield wipers.
In terms of modern power measurements, the engine made 21 PS (21 hp; 15 kW), which was surprisingly adequate for a GFRP-bodied car. All the plastic let it accelerate to a top speed of 121 km/h (75 miles per hour) without issue. We were unable to locate any mentions of the driving range on a single charge, though.
The example on sale is in dismal condition with a cabin that’s ripped, dirty and cluttered, door seals worn out and batteries no longer functional. Still, for the asking price of under five grand, you could probably make a killing restoring it for the exotic value alone and selling it for several times the price.