This very peculiar looking machine shown here is known as the 1996 Shark S-1, a one-off creation with some seriously intriguing presence and background history. In the mid to late 1990’s, a Canadian engineer by the name of Rudi Huber set out to construct his very own dream car over a three year period. The car was said to have been completed around 1996, and despite the high costs of the project, Huber never gave up on achieving his goal of creating his very own automobile. The Shark has been owned by Huber since the 90’s up until last year, when it was offered for sale for the first time from his ownership. It’s quite easy to compare the wedge-shape design of the Shark S-1 to come of the greatest wedge cars of all time such as the Countach, the Vector W8, or the Cizeta V16, but truly, the Shark S-1 is a beast of it’s own kind. The S-1 is powered by a 502-cubic-inch Chevrolet V8 engine that delivers a claimed horsepower of around 550hp, and is fitted with a number of comfort features to accommodate for practicality such as air conditioning, a large fuel tank (38 gallons), and a near and spacious interior, which is unexpected to find in such a UFO-looking vehicle. During the early days in the projects development, Huber reached out to the University of British Columbia, to which they subsequently sent him a chemical breakdown of what would be needed to carry out the fabrication of the design. The S-1 weighs in at around a claimed 2900lbs, and the rear engine cover is made completely out of stainless steel. Other unique options found on the S-1 consist of power steering, power mirrors, an AMFM stereo 6 speaker system with CD, keyless entry, and a beautiful leather interior with bucket seats. The tubular steel frame chassis of the vehicle is fully custom, and the transmission used is a Turbo-Hydramatic TH400 automatic three-speed transmission. Truly a stunning automobile, have you ever heard of this one before?
How many made? 1
Engine: 8.2L Prototype Tonawanda-built 502-cubic-inch Chevrolet V8 - 550hp
Debut: n/a
0-60mph: around 4 seconds (claimed)
Top Speed: over 300km/h (186mph) (claimed)
Photo Credit: @brendan.mcaleer
Research: @rarecarsonly