While General Motors lagged in powertrain and chassis development in the ?80s (the Buick Grand National, which slapped a turbo on a pushrod six of Kennedy-era origin doesn?t count), the behemoth?s design bureaus were still turning out some attractive stuff. It wasn?t until the early 1990s that styling was pushed off the same unfortunate cliff from which engineering had been unceremoniously shoved in the 1970s. As such, the sci-fi-ready Chevrolet Lumina APV, launched for 1990, plucked at the heartstrings of a few Americans who were not yet hip to the badness of the era?s domestic vehicles. So why not make a limo out of one" After all, if Donald Trump can have his own custom-branded Cadillac limousine, shouldn?t the proletariat at least be afforded the opportunity to ride in all-purpose luxury"
Bob Halpern of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, took the sentiment to heart when creating this particular machine. In fact, he apparently had two Lumina APVs converted for eight-passenger VIP hauling by adding a five-foot stretch and a custom interior. At the time, Cadillac and Lincoln limos were cresting $50K, and sales of the elongated beasts were tanking. Halpern figured the APV could make for a compelling and more affordable alternative.
Fast forward to today, when upfitted, business-class Sprinters count as acceptable fancy-folk transport, and it seems that Halpern was merely a prescient dude left waiting for the world to catch up?although we imagine the three-pointed star ...