The engineering development of the Firenza Can Am road car has, up to now, been shrouded in some secrecy. Read our detailed account of how this was really done by GM Engineering in a compressed 6-month programme in 1972.
In 1972 a decision was made by GMSA not to utilise the true development story of the production Can am as a promotional issue in communication. This was due to the restrictive International Corporate rules on motor sport and performance cars by the company, as well as the precedent set in the development of the Capri Perana by Basil Green. Similarly, GM decided to have Basil Van Rooyen as the front man for all things technical…and made the story conveniently mirror the Ford venture.
This was absolutely valid for the initial prototype and the race cars…but that is not how it happened for the production cars. Read the real account of how General Motors Engineering carried out the design, development, test & build of the Firenza Can Am with Basil as the creator of this amazing motor car in Part Two of the Can Am Story.”