Photo by Cliff West
Though production began in 1979, the Zimmer Motorcars Corporation was established in Pompano Beach, Florida, in 1980 by Paul Zimmer and his son, Robert “Bob” Zimmer. The Zimmer Golden Spirit was a classic-style car with up-to-date performance capabilities, based on the chassis and powertrain of Ford’s Fox-platform Mustang. While the exterior styling featured a long, low hood with exposed exhaust pipes, curled fenders, running boards, side-mounted spare tires, wire-spoke wheels with wide whitewall tires, trumpet-shaped horns and a 24-karat gold hood ornament, it was powered by a 225-horsepower high-output electronically fuel-injected 5.0-liter V8 engine and featured a 4-speed transmission, rack-and-pinion steering, independent front suspension with McPherson struts, coil springs and stabilizer bar, rear suspension with four-bar link rubber cushioned pivots, coil springs hydraulic shock absorbers and stabilizer bar, and power assisted front vented disc/rear drum brakes. The interior featured hand-stitched leather surfaces, a walnut dashboard, wool carpeting, a steering wheel with 24-carat gold-plated spokes, and crystal bud vases hanging by the rear seat courtesy lights. Air conditioning and an acoustically-balanced AM/FM stereo with cassette player were standard, while a CD player and hands-free cellular phone were optional. Prices in 1988 started around $50,000, which was equal to a Porsche or two Corvettes. Zimmer filed for bankruptcy in 1988 after building about 1,500 Golden Spirits, but was reborn in the late 1990s under new ownership. Due to their custom-built nature, it is difficult to tell what model year is represented by this Zimmer Golden Spirit at the Northwest Car Collectors Association Car Show & Swap Meet at the Portland Metropolitan Exposition Center in Portland, Oregon, on October 18-19, 2003.
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