Vector Motors

In 1971, Jerry Wiegert, who had just graduated from college, founded a design house called Vehicle Design Force and teamed up with Lee Brown, a well-known auto body expert in Hollywood, to create a new car called The Vector. The Vector was planned to feature various powerplant options, including a DOHC Porsche engine, and preproduction literature said that it would cost US$100,000 (at the time, a new Lamborghini Miura cost $21,000). The Vector was featured on the cover of Motor Trend magazine in April 1972, and a concept prototype was displayed at the 1976 LA Auto Show, however the car did not enter production. Lee Brown left the design team in 1977. Wiegert renamed Vehicle Design Force to "Vector Aeromotive" after the previous vehicle's research was refocused on a new car, the Vector W2. In the early 1990s, Ralph van Buuren (silent partner of Vector Aeromotive), who was in contact with Philips Car Stereo Germany, closed a deal with the Vector and Philips to arrange a Vector W8 for a promotion/marketing F1 deal which Philips ended sponsoring of the Ferrari F1 team.

The Vector W2

The W2 concept appeared in 1978. Like the first car, it was immobile at the time of its show debut, but in 1979, a running prototype was constructed. The vehicle traveled over 100,000 miles (160,000 km), the most of any concept vehicle.

The W2 was extensively covered by many magazines, and it was thoroughly tested by Motor Trend magazine and the British automotive television program Top Gear. However, Top Gear was ordered not to perform a top speed test on it, even though Vector claimed the car was capable of 230 mph.

Vector W8

In 1989, Wiegert's company, now known as the Vector Aeromotive Corporation, began production of the W8, an evolution of the W2. Financial backing came from public stock offerings and various lawsuits including suits against the Goodyear Tire Company (trademark infringement with the Vector brand of tires) and Vantage cigarettes. Two W8 prototypes were made, of which only one ran. The Vector W8 utilized an automatic Oldsmobile TM425 Transaxle mated to a Twin-Turbo CAN-AM modified Chevrolet small block V8 engine.

One black W8 was pre-ordered by famous tennis player Andre Agassi. Since Vectors were hand built, each required significant time to finish, calibrate and test, but Agassi demanded that the company deliver his W8 before it was ready. Vector complied, and company representatives told him that he could display it, but warned him not to drive it until the final work was completed. Agassi ignored this advice, and when the vehicle broke down, Wiegert and Vector Aeromotive refunded his US$455,000 purchase price; this resulted in negative publicity despite the circumstances. Afterwards, Agassi's W8 was finished and the car was resold. A total of 17 Vector W8 cars were built for public sale. The Vector W8 appeared in the 1993 film Rising Sun, driven by a Japanese businessman's son Eddie Sakamura (played by actor Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa).

Avtech WX-3

Wiegert displayed the new Vector WX-3 coupe at the Geneva Auto Show in 1992 and further evolved the W8 design. The Avtech WX-3R roadster followed in 1993. Only one prototype of each model was built. Plans called for the WX-3 to carry three different engine options: a 600 hp (450 kW) "basic" V-8, an 800 hp (600 kW) "tuned" option, and a 1,200 hp (890 kW) twin turbo option, While the Coupe had the twin turbo engine (tuned to about 800 hp) the roadster had the same Chevrolet engine as the W8. When the WX-3 debuted in 1993, MegaTech, an Indonesian company, acquired a controlling interest in Vector. After Wiegert returned from the Geneva show, the Vector board asked Wiegert to relinquish control of the company and assume only the role of the company's designer. He refused, and ordered the Vector headquarters physically locked down. He was later fired from Vector Aeromotive. The WX-3 Coupe was originally painted silver, but it was repainted teal-blue by Wiegert to match the teal-blue and purple logo of his Aquajet jet-ski company. The teal-blue coupe and purple roadster are featured as promotional vehicles on the Aquajet website.