VLF Automotive is a small American-based automotive company formed in January 2016. It was founded as VL Automotive in 2012 by Bob Lutz and Gilbert Villarreal, then renamed after

Henrik Fisker Henrik Fisker (born 10 August 1963) is a Danish automotive designer and entrepreneur based in Los Angeles, California. He is best known for designing luxury cars including the BMW Z8, Aston Martin DB9, Aston Martin V8 Vantage, Fisker Karma, ...

joined the company.

Company history

The company was founded by designer and entrepreneur

, ex-

General Motors The General Motors Company (GM) is an American Multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automotive manufacturing company headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, United States. It is the largest automaker in the United States and ...

vice-chairman Bob Lutz and industrialist Gilbert Villarreal. The company's name is taken from the initials of their surnames. In 2013 they displayed the

Destino ''Destino'' is an animated short film released in 2003 by Walt Disney Animation Studios. ''Destino'' is unique in that its production originally began in 1945, 58 years before its eventual completion in 2003. The project was originally a collab ...

, its first model, based on the

Fisker Karma The Fisker Karma is a luxury plug-in range-extended electric sports sedan produced by Fisker Automotive in 2012. The cars were manufactured at Valmet Automotive in Finland. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rated th ...

, at the

North American International Auto Show The North American International Auto Show (NAIAS), also known as the Detroit Auto Show as of 2022 and prior to NAIAS, is an annual auto show held in Detroit, Michigan, U.S., at Huntington Place. The show was held in January from 1989 to 2019. ...

in Detroit. In 2016 they debuted the Force 1, a 745 hp American sports car at the

Products

VLF Destino

The VLF Destino four-door sedan was first shown in January 2013, heavily based on the

, but fitted with a 6.2 L V8 gasoline engine rather than the electric power of the Karma. Sales of the Destino were scheduled to commence in the second half of 2015, with cars to be built in Auburn Hills in Michigan, but the company only obtained twenty Fisker Karma " gliders" and reported 100 orders by May 2013. At the January 2014 Detroit Autoshow, the company announced that production was delayed due to the ongoing restructuring of Fisker.

VLF Force 1

The company announced production of a limited edition 745 HP American sports car Force 1 V10, limited to 50 by third quarter 2016. The car was a Coach Built

Dodge Viper The Dodge Viper is a sports car that was manufactured by Dodge (by SRT for 2013 and 2014), a division of American car manufacturer FCA US LLC from 1992 until 2017, having taken a brief hiatus in 2007 and from 2010 to 2012. Production of the two- ...

VLF Rocket V8

In 2018, VLF partnered with

Galpin Auto Sports Galpin Auto Sports (or GAS) is an American custom car and automobile repair shop located in Van Nuys which specializes in customizing and remodeling vehicles specifically for their drivers. They also provide specialty parts and accessories. The ...

to produce the Rocket V8, a coach built

Ford Mustang The Ford Mustang is a series of American automobiles manufactured by Ford. In continuous production since 1964, the Mustang is currently the longest-produced Ford car nameplate. Currently in its sixth generation, it is the fifth-best selli ...

that is to be co built by both VLF and Galpin Auto Sports.

HUMVEE C-Series

Beginning in 2017, VLF is contracting a version of the

HMMWV The High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV; colloquial: Humvee) is a family of light, four-wheel drive, military trucks and utility vehicles produced by AM General. It has largely supplanted the roles previously performed by the ori ...

Hummer H1 The Hummer H1 is a four-wheel-drive utility vehicle based on the M998 Humvee, which was developed by AM General when it was a subsidiary of American Motors Corporation (AMC). Originally designed strictly for military use, the off-road vehicle was ...

for the non-Americas market with limited run of 100 units per year via contract from

AM General AM General is an American heavy vehicle and contract automotive manufacturer based in South Bend, Indiana. It is best known for the civilian Hummer and the military Humvee that are assembled in Mishawaka, Indiana. For a relatively brief period, ...

. Markets include China, Europe and the Middle East. AM General had announced offering the C-Series as a kit for sale in 2012, but cancelled the project.https://www.motortrend.com/news/diy-h1-am-general-announces-new-59995-civilian-humvee-c-series-kits-283673/,

References

External links

* Coachbuilders of the United States Car manufacturers of the United States Motor vehicle manufacturers based in Michigan Henrik Fisker Luxury motor vehicle manufacturers {{car-stub