Zimmer Quicksilver: Cool neoclassic or expensive Fiero?

The name Zimmer may not register with many car enthusiasts these days, but back in the 1980s, Zimmer was a big name in the neoclassic industry. Neoclassic, you ask? That moniker applies to a subset of vehicles built in the ’70s and ’80s which have a striking resemblance to the Mercedes-Benz SSK. Founded in 1978, Zimmer found success with its flagship Golden Spirit, which was based on a Ford Mustang chassis and drivetrain.

By 1984 Zimmer had expanded its line to include the Quicksilver, a take on the modern luxury car. Like Stutz a little more than 10 years prior, Zimmer used a Pontiac base and topped it off with a radical redesign. Instead of a Grand Prix, though, Zimmer used the new V-6 Fiero to underpin the Quicksilver.

Little was left untouched, and the car was lengthened 28 inches overall. The body was reworked to an extent that leaves it unrecognizable as a Pontiac. If you stare at it long enough, it resembles a Lincoln Mk VIII designed by Tim Burton after a few highballs too many. Zimmer completely reworked the interior to the standard of luxury you would expect for a price tag of $48,000. That’s right, kids—the Quicksilver cost nearly four times that of a base Fiero. Whether or not it is four times the car is certainly a conversation up for healthy debate.

Zimmer claims to have built 170 units, making these oddities extremely rare. It just so happens that RM Sotheby’s will be offering one at its annual Arizona sale next week. With only 464 miles on the odometer, this has got to be as close to buying a new Quicksilver as you can get. The estimate of $40,000–$50,000 is in the ballpark of a new one too, if you don’t account for 40 years of inflation.

What such a Zimmer will sell for is anyone’s guess; there’s nothing currently on the market in remotely this fine of condition, so there isn’t a benchmark handy. Is the ultimate in neoclassic Fiero worth adding to your stable? Can the eyeballs of mere mortals handle the searing red of such an interior? Let us know what you think in the comments.