The Story

This Bradley GTE Electric could be yours for free! We are giving away this rare electric car that was at the forefront of early electric vehicles in the 1980's. There are no tickets to buy, you only need to register here on BuildMyRide.com and comment on the listing to be entered for a chance to win. If you are already a registered user, make a comment and you'll be entered. Let us know how you would electrify this ride! Entries will be accepted until 11:59 PM PST April 11, 2025 and a winner will be randomly selected on or around April 15, 2025. Please read our FAQ: "What are the rules for the Bradley GTE Contest?" for full details. https://buildmyride.com/faqs/

The Bradley GTE Electric, released in 1980, represented a bold step into the emerging world of electric vehicles during a time when the concept was still considered futuristic. Developed by Bradley Automotive in collaboration with General Electric, the GTE featured a 20.7 horsepower GE Tracer I motor capable of achieving a top speed of 75 mph and a range of up to 100 miles in city driving. Despite these impressive stats for the era, only about 50 units were produced, largely due to Bradley's financial challenges​ at the time.

Electricity was provided by a bank of 16 x 6 volt batteries which were connected in series for a total of 96 volts. Inside the car the driver could select either “Boost” mode or “Cruise” mode on the dash. Boost gave them the full 96 volts and Cruise provided 48 volts – less power but more range. The GTE wasn't alone; it was part of a wave of early EV attempts, including vehicles like the Sebring Vanguard Citicar and the Comuta-Car, which targeted short-range urban mobility. While the GTE and its contemporaries didn't survive into the modern EV boom, they laid the groundwork for the electric revolution we see today. The Bradley GTE stands as a testament to the ingenuity and challenges of pioneering alternative energy vehicles decades before their time. Now that electric cars have hit the mainstream, this 44 year old electric car is ready for a more modern battery system and possibly a motor upgrade.

Based on the literature in the folder of paperwork and receipts, one of the earliest owners, most likely the original owner based on the dates, was a Bradley sales rep. Bradley brochures, order forms, and other documents show the early process and pricing. Invoices, receipts, and new parts show over $4,000 spent on this Bradley in 2019-2020.

The Bradley currently holds a clean California title as a 1980 Bradley. It is smog exempt of course as noted by the "E" for the type of Gas on the title. The California registration lapsed a couple years ago, so there will be additional fees if the car is registered in California.

What You Get

The fiberglass body of the GTE is in great condition overall, with a few areas that will need work, which are detailed in the “What you need” section below. Both gullwing doors are in great cosmetic condition with no visible issues. The process of eliminating both bumpers was started, but the original bumpers are included with the sale. The pop-up headlights move manually up and down freely and will need to be connected to their motor.

The Pièce de résistance, the front windshield, is in perfect condition and does not need any attention. The rear hatch glass and fastback quarter windows are also in perfect condition. The door glass is a two piece design, all of which have been newly crafted and are included with the middle frame that separates the two. The smaller lower section is the one that rolls down, much like the Subaru SVX “Window-within-a-window”. New gullwing door roof plexiglass is included, in addition to the originals, which were used to make the replacements.

New floor pans have been welded in along with pan to body seal and it’s a very clean job, completed in 2020 along with most of the other work and upgrades. The original dash is in place with the center mounted gauge cluster/control panel. Some of the original interior is in place on the headliner pieces. The original seats have been recovered in a non-matching blue color.

The original GE electric motor has been rebuilt at a cost of $1,518 and has zero miles on it (see invoice). The main battery harness plugs are attached to the motor. The original battery trays lay on both sides of the motor and in the frunk. A new clutch and cable were also fitted to the VW 4-speed transaxle when reinstalling the motor. The IRS axles are in great condition with new seals and boots.

An original design flaw were the inadequate shocks in the front, so this Bradley has new front shocks with coil over springs, which assist the factory VW front transverse spring. The new rear air shocks are adjustable with an air valve exiting from the lower quarter panel on the driver’s side. Braking is handled by a new EMPI large bore dual circuit master cylinder with front discs and rear drums. The 5 lug front discs are mounted on new EMPI drop spindles. New stainless steel brake lines and brake hoses have been installed all around. The previous owner installed a new steering box with a quicker ratio, the original steering box is included. The wheels are original turbine style 16.5” diameter.

What You Need

This EV project provides many opportunities to restore it to original specs or upgrade the electronics with modern components. If you decide to restore the original 6V battery configuration, you will need to source a controller module and buy the batteries with the required cables. The controller is essentially the speed control. You can either source an EV-1 controller, which are still commonly used in forklifts around the world, or use a more modern and commonly used controller such as the Curtis 1231C. One easy upgrade in this configuration is to use 8V batteries instead of 6V for a small power boost. There are many other options for batteries and other motors, it just depends on how fast and far you want to go! The DIYElectricCar Forum, www.diyelectriccar.com, is a very supportive community working on many different electric car projects, including Bradley GTE's.

The body will need some small repairs prior to any other refinishing. The previous owner started the process of eliminating the bumpers, so the new owner can either continue with that process or open up the bumper bracket holes to utilize the included original bumpers. The general consensus is that the Bradley's look better without bumpers. There is a crack in the fiberglass where the charging port mounts on the rear valence. A repair has been started on the lower driver fender ahead of the wheel and will need finishing. The hood has some spider cracking and other small issues to be addressed, including a working latch mount. One of the tail light lenses is missing and other small reflectors.

The interior needs a full overhaul, especially if the blue seat upholstery is not retained. There are cut holes in the dash for a radio and something else on the left. The gauge cluster will need wiring finished and mounting to the dash. The doors need to be attached and hydraulic shocks installed. The wiring harness is present, but will need to be sorted out. The upper door plexiglass needs to be installed and the new side windows along with window frames. The rear hatch glass needs weather stripping and check the latch.

The chassis, suspension, and brakes are all in excellent condition, with many new parts already installed. A safety check of all these components is recommended prior to driving. The tires need to be replaced and could possibly be the originals.