After just six years in business, Brabham Automotive is dead.
Starting an automaker in the 21st century is an incredibly challenging endeavor. It takes immense financial support, a rock-solid business plan, and lots of luck. Brabham Automotive, the low-production supercar manufacturer founded in 2018, is the latest automotive brand to throw in the towel.
Co-founder David Brabham, youngest son of racing legend Jack Brabham, announced last week on Instagram that he and Fusion Capital, the investment group backing the brand, have ended their relationship and dissolved the company, marking the end for the BT62 supercar.
The BT62 was Brabham Automotive’s first product, launched in 2018. It featured aerodynamics capable of producing 2,646 pounds of downforce, which surpassed the vehicle’s 2,143-pound weight. Power came from a naturally aspirated 5.4-liter V8 making 700 horsepower and 492 pound-feet of torque. The company hoped to sell 70 of them, with prices starting at the modern equivalent of $1.35 million each.
Following the track car, Brabham announced a street-legal version of the BT62 in 2020 called the BT62R. It looked largely identical to the circuit-focused machine but with a quieter exhaust, air conditioning, adaptable suspension, and a heated windshield. The vehicle didn’t look like something you’d want to use for a cross-country jaunt but still appeared far more comfortable than the circuit-only variant.
We don’t know exactly how many vehicles the modern iteration of Brabham completed. At least some vehicles completed production for customer deliveries.
David Brabham isn’t completely shutting down the possibility of these vehicles returning. “With the brand license for Automotive ended, it opens the doors for future business ventures in motorsport, automotive, and heritage sectors,” he wrote on Instagram. So not all hope is lost.
