This is a 1990 Consulier GTP, it’s a handbuilt American supercar that was once the toast of the town, but which is now largely forgotten outside of obscure classic car circles.
The Consulier GTP would be the first production car in history to have a composite monocoque with no structural metal in the body. This is now almost standard procedure for modern European supercars, but back in the 1980s it was unheard of.
Fast Facts – The Consulier GTP
- This 1990 Consulier GTP is a rare American supercar featuring a revolutionary composite monocoque body with no structural metal, a concept ahead of its time in the 1980s. It utilized lightweight materials like carbon fiber and Kevlar, making it significantly lighter than its contemporaries, and resulting in an excellent power-to-weight ratio.
- Developed by Warren Mosler and his team, the Consulier GTP was designed with a focus on weight reduction and aerodynamics, powered by a Chrysler 2.2-liter Turbo engine. The car’s performance dominated IMSA racing until it was penalized and eventually banned due to its huge competitive advantage.
- The Consulier GTP was offered in two versions: the standard GTP Sport and the luxury-oriented GTP LX, which included amenities like Recaro seats, leather upholstery, and air conditioning. Fewer than 100 units were built in total, making surviving examples highly collectible among enthusiasts aware of its historical significance.
- The featured 1990 Consulier GTP LX, with only 8,300 miles, is currently for sale on eBay for $55,000. It’s described as a rare model with a recent respray, offering potential buyers a piece of American automotive innovation from the early 1990s.
Who Is Warren Mosler?
Warren Mosler is an American entrepreneur and academic who is best known, outside of academic circles, for founding automotive manufacturer Consulier Industries in 1984 which was later spun off into Mosler Automotive.
Above Video: This is Doug DeMuro’s episode with a Consulier GTP, and he does a great job of telling the story of the car, including the ups and downs.
Mosler graduated from the University of Connecticut in the early 1970s with a degree in economics. He initially worked in banking before founding a hedge fund in 1982, which would prove successful and allow him to pursue his passion for technologically advanced cars starting with the Consulier GTP in 1985.
In the 1990s Mosler would transition largely into academia, he now has an honorary doctorate from Franklin University Switzerland and he was a visiting professor at the University of Bergamo. In 2010 he published the book Seven Deadly Innocent Frauds of Economic Policy which highlighted errors that can be made in economic policy, offering better alternatives.
In economist circles he’s well-known for Mosler’s Law which states that “[…] no financial crisis [is] so deep that a sufficiently large fiscal adjustment cannot deal with it.”
Mosler would run for elected office a number of times, and he’s now based in the U.S. Virgin Islands working on a government-sponsored economic growth initiative.
The Revolutionary Consulier GTP
The first Formula 1 car with a composite monocoque chassis was the McLaren MP4/1 of 1981. The MP4 series of F1 cars would go on to become one of the most dominant of the age and set the groundwork for all F1 cars that followed.
The Consulier GTP is powered by a Chrysler 2.2 liter Turbo II engine with between 175 bhp and 190 bhp depending on the specific version.
Across the Atlantic in the USA an engineer named Warren Mosler was developing a new road-going production car with a composite monocoque, it would be named the Consulier GTP, and like the MP4 it too would go on to become a race and championship-winner.
The Consulier GTP wouldn’t enjoy the same legendary reputation as its monocoque Formula 1 sibling, the McLaren MP4/1, but there’s a good argument to be made that it should be far more famous than it currently is.
The GTP was developed by Warren Mosler and his team in the mid-1980s. The car was developed with a strict focus on weight and aerodynamics, resulting in an appearance that would perhaps look more at home on a Le Mans grid.
The final production version of the Consulier GTP was just 998 kgs (2,200 lbs), considerably less than the likes of the Ferrari Testarossa (1,708 kgs (3,766 lbs)) or the Lamborghini Countach (1490 kgs (3285 lbs)).
This low weight was largely thanks to the revolutionary monocoque body made from a combination of aircraft-grade fiberglass, foam, carbon fiber, and Kevlar. No structural metal was used, however the suspension connection points were made from steel for obvious reasons.
The car was powered by a Chrysler 2.2 liter Turbo II engine that initially produced 175 bhp, later cars were given the 190 bhp Turbo III version of the same engine. Versions of the car modified for racing proved essentially unbeatable in IMSA racing, as a result they were initially saddled with a 300 lb weight penalty, then finally banned outright.
The interior of the car is very well appointed for a low-volume 1980s production car. This is the GTP LX version which also come with many additional amenities including a car phone, Recaro seats, VDO instrumentation, Fittipaldi wheels, an Alpine sound system, sunroof, leather upholstery, air conditioning, cruise control, and more.
Customers could order the Consulier GTP in two primary versions when it was first released, the GTP Sport which was the standard model, and the GTP LX which was the luxury version, adding Recaro seats, VDO instrumentation, Fittipaldi wheels, an Alpine sound system, sunroof, leather upholstery, air conditioning, cruise control, power locks, power mirrors, power windows, and more.
It’s believed that between 60 and 100 examples of the GTP were built between 1988 and 1993. The model would be succeeded by new models including the Mosler Intruder and the Mosler Raptor, after the company changed its name to Mosler Automotive.
Today the surviving examples of the GTP and the subsequent Mosler cars are considered highly-collectible by those who are aware of their unusual place in modern American automotive history.
The 1990 Consulier GTP LX Shown Here
The car you see here is a 1990 Consulier GTP LX, that “LX” is the model name is short for “luxury,” denoting that this car is fitted with a slew of modern conveniences like air conditioning, cruise control, electric windows, and much more.
This Consulier GTP LX is being sold for $55,000 USD out of Cobbs Creek, Virginia on eBay Motors.
This GTP is now being offered for sale on eBay and the listing description isn’t particularly long or in-depth, simply stating: “1990 Consulier GTP. Only 8,300 miles from new. Recent respray. Very rare car, 1 of 83 built. American 90s Supercar. Not a kit car. Message for details.”
If you’d like to read more about this car or make them an offer you can visit the listing here. It’s being offered for sale out of Cobbs Creek, Virginia with a Buy It Now price of $55,000 USD.
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