Guanci SJJ: A Dream Deferred

For American and foreign designs, the ever-tightening regulatory belt of Malaise Era automotive regulations literally squeezed the passion out of sports cars of the era. Famous icons like MG and Triumph were bigger, slower, and were ultimately phased out (1980/81, respectively), while the Corvette lost a significant amount of swagger at the altar of lower emissions, occupant safety, and better fuel economy. Maserati was in big trouble, while the upstart Datsun Z-car and the incomparable Ferrari Dino suffered when compared to their counterparts in their home markets. This climate inspired John J. Guanci Jr. (1940-2024) to devise a plan to make a better sports car.

Guanci was not a man to take lightly, as the former Green Beret served in the 82nd Airborne as well as the 7th Special Forces from 1958 to 1961. His military service took him far and wide, and that spirit clearly translated into his role as a civilian industrialist. By the 1970s he was lead design engineer and owner of Precision Quincy, an industrial oven manufacturer with the unique ability to make a custom-fit product instead of cramming a templated design down customer’s throats. Is it any surprise that such a business owner would demand a sports car with an uncompromising design, tailored to an underserved market?

Guanci founded Guanci Automobiles in Woodstock, Illinois, in 1977. Their vision for an American GT with race car DNA was called the Guanci SJJ, which are the initials of Guanci’s wife (Susan) and son (John Joseph). The steel and aluminum monocoque came from Can-Am race car designer Bob McKee, with a fiberglass body formed by ex-Chrysler designer Mike Williams and Alejandro de Tomaso. It all had the makings of the perfect fit, much like Guanci’s decades of success in the bespoke industrial oven business.

The finished concept car was shown to the world in 1979 at the nearby Chicago Auto Show, and garnered significant media attention: there was so much potential that Motor Trend covered the SJJ at least two times (January 1982 and March 1985). Three prototypes were built, the final one in 1982 is what you see below.

This example recently sold on Hagerty Marketplace for $27,285, with only 209 miles on its revised odometer. This particular SJJ sports extensive upgrades sourced from Oldsmobile over a decade after its birth in 1982. The Oldsmobile Aurora odometer (and full instrumentation) was retrofitted because the V-8 powertrain from the flagship Aurora luxury sedan was added well after this vehicle debuted. The first two prototypes utilized Chevrolet’s L-82 small block V-8, one of the Malaise Era’s hottest engines. But this final example came with a Buick Turbo V-6, and likely made a respectable 180 horsepower like the blow-through carburetion designs implemented on production Buicks of that era. The conversion to the Oldsmobile L47 quad-cam V-8 was a significant improvement, likely adding upwards of 70 horsepower while shedding significant weight because of its all-aluminum construction.

This final Guanci SJJ from 1982 was donated by Guanci’s son to the non-profit Genius Garage Student Racing around the time of his father’s death. It remains a prototype without a title, but that didn’t stop bidders from ponying up the funds to own this piece of Malaise Era engineering history. The final tally is beyond impressive considering the size of the company, but the SJJ’s slick styling alone is worth the final sale price.

That’s because a deeply critical eye is needed to determine which GM parts bins were raided to create the SJJ—everything was that well integrated. The design stands on its own, with a 1970s wedge profile perfectly contoured to accept GM bits like Corvette cornering lights and second-generation Camaro door handles and side-view mirrors. Inside, you see more items that look hand-picked from a Camaro, but with enough style to fool all but the most keen enthusiasts.

The leather-wrapped interior bits, Blaupunkt audio, and period-correct Scheel-Mann bucket seats give the SJJ the feel of a European touring car. Even the fabric on door cards matches the seat fabrics, while the upgraded Aurora V-8 powertrain translated into updated interior items like the aforementioned gauge cluster, floor shifter, and rear-view mirror. Of course the biggest telltale are the Aurora 16-inch wheels, but they work surprisingly well with the Maserati Bora-esque coachwork.

Under the SJJ’s rear hood lies the Aurora V-8 in all its glory, but eagle-eyed enthusiasts will note how well the Oldsmobile’s wiring harness and mini fuse-equipped fuse box were integrated into the vintage coachwork. Whoever performed the upgrade on this prototype deserves kudos for their hard work. It’s this attention to detail that ensured the 1982 Guanci SJJ sold for a lofty asking price, even without a road legal title.

John J. Guanci Jr. clearly had a passion for integration, be it with made-to-order industrial ovens or General Motors componentry into a bespoke monocoque for a performance-minded clientele. It’s a tragedy that this vehicle, Guanci Automobiles, and the talented people it hired couldn’t see this design to production. But perhaps tragedies can have silver linings, as this vehicle proves a bold engineering spirit can conquer significant obstacles.