1978 Clénet Series I Roadster

Description

OFFERED WITHOUT RESERVE

Hagerty Marketplace is honored to offer a selection of vehicles from the SugarCreek Collection. This private collection in southeastern Ohio is supported by its own in-house restoration and maintenance shop, with a full-time staff of craftsmen. The garage is a true spectrum of car enthusiast dreams, ranging from unfinished restorations to the most recent SEMA-exhibited 1,000 HP 1962 Dodge Power Wagon. Sixteen select cars from the collection are being offered in time for the holidays. Whether awaiting restoration, preserved showroom stock, restored to like-new, or tastefully modified, these cars and trucks are truly SugarCreek quality.

Anyone who has ever seen a Clénet Series I Roadster — or any of the Clénets that followed it — has likely never forgotten this head-turning retromobile. Banking on the public’s appetite for the combination of classic styling and modern technology, Clénet Coachworks Inc. was formed by Alain Clénet and investors in 1975. First working out of a garage in Santa Barbara, California, and later moving production to an airplane hangar in Goleta, Clénet’s small team produced 250 Series I Roadsters beginning in 1976. These unique drop-tops boasted V8 engines, distinctive faux exhaust pipes, long bodies, and exquisite wood and leather interiors with etched glass and Waterford crystal ashtrays. Underneath was the latest in drivetrain and suspension system technology, as well as a body of steel, giving them superior reliability to go with their beauty. Automotive Age was so impressed that it referred to Clénets as “Drive Art.”

The base price of the Series I started at $29,500 in 1976 and increased to $79,500 by the end of production in 1979. According to the Classic Clénet Club, owners of these symbols of wealth and sophistication included the likes of Farrah Fawcett, Sylvester Stallone, Rod Stewart, former boxing champion Ken Norton, NFL quarterback Jim McMahon, and King Hassan II of Morocco.

Highlights 

• Offered from the SugarCreek Collection 

• According to a commemorative plate on the driver’s door, this 1978 Clénet Series I Roadster is No. 115 of 250 built 

• Five-digit odometer shows 26,729 miles, believed to be actual, an average of 581 miles per year 

• Sympathetic cosmetic restoration in 2015 by the SugarCreek Collection included refreshed cream and brown paint and reupholstered brown plush leather upholstery 

• Brown nylon manual soft top 

• Powered by a Ford 351 cu-in, two-barrel V8 engine rated at 150 hp and 250 lb-ft of torque 

• Ford C6 three-speed automatic transmission 

• New radiator and water pump 

• Faux external exhaust pipes 

• Italian walnut burl dashboard 

• Etched vent windows and hood ornament 

• Waterford crystal ashtray 

• New radiator and water pump 

• Body plate reads “Clénet Coachworks: Body by Cleveland / Paint by Kouracos, Johnson / Interior by Buse” 

 Features 

• Rear-wheel-drive, two-door roadster 

• Two-section, V-shaped front bumper 

• Trumpet horns 

• Raydyot spotlights 

• Running lights 

• Butterfly hinged hood 

• Three windshield wipers 

• Dual exhaust 

• 15x7-inch Dayton chrome-spoked knockoff wheels 

• Firestone FR721 P235/75R15 white wall tires 

• Running boards with wood and polished steel trim 

• Dual exterior mirrors 

• Power steering 

• Power brakes 

• Air conditioning 

• Heater 

• Nardi wood-rimmed steering wheel 

• VDO instrumentation: 

  • 120 mph speedometer and odometer  

  • Tachometer  

  • Fuel level 

  • Coolant temperature  

  • Oil pressure 

  • Analog clock 

• Kenwood AM/FM/Cassette stereo with Kenwood equalizer  

• Seat belts 

• Courtesy lights 

• Sun visors with vanity mirrors 

• Map pouches in doors 

• Lockable glove box with courtesy light 

• Cigar/cigarette lighter 

• Wheelbase: 120.4 inches 

• Length: 191.4 inches 

• Width: 73.4 inches 

• Curb weight: 3,593 pounds 

 Known Imperfections 

• Fuel gauge is inoperable 

• Small paint chips around hood 

• Weather stripping coming off passenger door 

 Included 

• Rear-mounted spare tire with brown canvas cover 

• Knockoff hammer and wheel hub tool 

• Touring Club badge on grille 

• Tonneau cover 

• Extra dash light

Ownership History

This 1978 Clénet Series I Roadster was added to the SugarCreek Collection in 2013, and it has been driven only 280 miles since. The luxury car is kept in a climate-controlled showroom.

Additional Notes

A Broad Arrow Group Consignment Specialist is working as an agent on behalf of the owner of this vehicle.

Contact: Matt Lowney Phone: 623.308.2640 email: mlowney@hagerty.com