Vector Aeromotive is remembered as one of the most audacious automotive ventures of the 1990s, driven by founder Jerry Wiegert’s maniacal ambition to challenge the established supercar hierarchy. Its eventual collapse in the mid-1990s proved every bit as dramatic as its rise—a story of corporate intrigue, international power struggles, and the unlikely convergence of American ambition and Italian engineering.

The Vector M12 grew directly from Wiegert’s Avtech WX-3, unveiled in both coupe and roadster form at the 1993 Geneva Motor Show. Radically proportioned, the WX-3 represented the ultimate expression of Wiegert’s futuristic design philosophy. Only two examples were completed before control of Vector changed hands in 1994. The firm’s new owner, MegaTech, relocated Vector from Southern California to a facility in suburban Jacksonville, Florida, alongside Lamborghini’s North American operations. Having acquired Lamborghini from Chrysler, MegaTech now had the ingredients for an unlikely American-Italian supercar partnership: Vector’s extravagant design language combined with Lamborghini’s sophisticated chassis technology and legendary V-12 power.

Debuting at the 1996 Detroit Auto Show, the M12 retained the remarkable silhouette of the WX-3, but beneath the skin was a substantially different machine. Its chassis was derived from the Lamborghini Diablo, while power came from Lamborghini’s magnificent 5.7-liter V-12, mounted amidships ahead of the transmission. The cabin also incorporated Lamborghini and Chrysler-era components, giving the M12 a more polished character than some of Vector’s earlier creations. Yet for all its Lamborghini influence, the M12 remained unmistakably a Vector. Its sharply creased, wedge-shaped bodywork seemed to have arrived from another era—or another planet—while the 12-cylinder soundtrack announced its Italian pedigree.

Contemporary road tests differed in their assessments, but there was little question of its presence. This was neither simply a Lamborghini nor a conventional Vector, but a remarkable hybrid born from one of the most unusual collaborations in supercar history.

Its production life was, however, painfully brief. When MegaTech sold Lamborghini to Audi, the supply of Lamborghini V-12 engines to Vector was effectively terminated. Already operating on precarious foundations, Vector could not survive the loss. Production ceased, the company closed, and the M12 became an extraordinarily rare artifact almost as quickly as it had appeared.

Just 17 M12s were ultimately built, of which only 14 are considered full production models. The example offered here is chassis number 5 and, uniquely, the only M12 finished in this distinctive shade of purple. In November 2023, the car was entrusted to European Exotic Center in Tampa, Florida, for inspection and service. Work included installation of a slave cylinder and a master cylinder, while the gearbox was removed and rebuilt, and the cooling system was also refreshed with new hoses. More recently, in August 2026, the clutch was replaced, and a new battery was installed. Showing just 6,222 miles at the time of cataloguing, it has been sparingly driven throughout its life and presents a rare opportunity to acquire one of Vector’s most unusual creations.

With its unmistakable design, Lamborghini V-12 power, extremely limited production, and unique purple finish, this M12 represents far more than a rare exotic automobile. It is a surviving artifact of one of the most extraordinary chapters in American supercar history, and a machine every bit as provocative today as when it first emerged.