Velvet Thunder - There’s something magical about cars that dare to be different — vehicles that break away from convention, not because they have to, but because someone believed they could. The late 1980s was a decade bursting with individuality, where design was bold, and engineers weren’t afraid to mix nostalgia with modern flair. Among the handful of creators who thrived in that creative tension stood
Ron Sparks —
a man whose imagination refused to fit inside the box of mass production.
From his workshop in San Marcos,
California,
Sparks dreamed up a machine that embodied both elegance and eccentricity:
the Sparks Pegasus Cabriolet.
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| The Sparks Pegasus Cabriolet emerged from a vision to fuse American muscle with the romantic spirit of a European grand tourer, brought to life by Intercontinental Carriage, Inc. (Picture from: WorldCarsFromThe1930sTo1980s in Facebook) |
Born from a desire to merge American muscle with the romantic flair of a European grand tourer,
the Pegasus Cabriolet was a rare creation, crafted under the banner of
Intercontinental Carriage, Inc. Its design took cues from Sparks’ earlier ventures —
the Sparks Turbo Phaeton and
the Sparks II Roadster — cars that flirted with neo-classic design in the late 1970s and early ’80s. But
the Pegasus Cabriolet wasn’t just a revival of those ideas; it was a transformation.
Built between 1989 and 1993, it represented one of the most obscure yet fascinating reinterpretations of
the Ford Mustang platform,
specifically the Fox Body Mustang — a staple of American automotive culture at the time.
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| The Sparks Pegasus Cabriolet borrowed cues from Sparks’ earlier neo-classic models but reshaped them into a distinctly new creation. (Picture from: ClassicCars) |
Under its sculpted hood sat a 5.0-liter V8 engine,
the same heart that powered Ford’s own performance cars of the era.
It produced 225 horsepower — more than enough to make
the Pegasus roar down the open highway with authority.
The power could be channeled through either a five-speed manual transmission for purists or an automatic overdrive for those who preferred their drive effortless. Beneath its striking exterior, the car carried a
Ford LTD chassis, a solid foundation that offered both strength and adaptability.
Sparks’ engineering approach was inventive — a blend of existing Ford components fused with custom craftsmanship.
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| The Sparks Pegasus Cabriolet gained its distinctive visual character through Alain Clenet’s artistic touch, which refined Sparks’ mechanical vision with the elegance it deserved. (Picture from: Aiden Jewell in Flickr) |
What made
the Pegasus Cabriolet truly captivating, however, was its design language. The vehicle wore its personality openly: a mix of retro romance and futuristic bravado. Its sweeping lines and wide fenders exuded the confidence of classic luxury cars, while details like the real wire wheels and wide whitewall tires paid homage to the golden era of motoring. The use of iron and plastic body panels gave it structure and style, while the doors — borrowed intriguingly from
the Volkswagen Cabriolet — added an unexpected European twist. Inside, the car continued its balancing act between opulence and practicality.
White leather seats,
power accessories,
a convertible top,
and a stereo with a CD player (a luxury touch for the time) gave it the comfort of a grand cruiser, yet it still held the soul of a performance-oriented Mustang beneath its tailored suit.
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| The Sparks Pegasus Cabriolet showcased a confident mix of retro charm and modern flair with sweeping lines, wide fenders, wire wheels, whitewall tires, mixed metal-and-plastic panels, and Volkswagen Cabriolet doors that lent it a subtle European twist. (Picture from: WorldCarsFromThe1930sTo1980s in Facebook) |
Only three examples of the Sparks Cabriolet were ever built, and that exclusivity makes it as much a piece of art as it is a car.
One of these was Ron Sparks’ personal vehicle — a testament to how deeply personal the project was to its creator.
Sparks Motorworks, the division responsible for its construction, treated each build like a handcrafted masterpiece rather than a product. It wasn’t about mass appeal; it was about passion, design, and the joy of making something unique in a world that often prizes repetition.
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| The Sparks Pegasus Cabriolet combined white leather seating, power features, a convertible top, and a then-premium CD stereo to deliver grand-cruiser comfort while retaining the spirit of a performance-driven Mustang beneath its refined exterior. (Picture from: ClassicCars) |
Behind the design was another familiar name for aficionados of custom automobiles:
Alain Clenet. Known for his artistic approach to vehicle styling,
Clenet brought his distinct aesthetic sensibility to
the Pegasus, enhancing
Sparks’ mechanical vision with the visual grace it deserved. Together,
Sparks and
Clenet created something that bridged continents —
a car born in California but infused with the spirit of European coachbuilding.
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| The
Sparks Pegasus Cabriolet carried a 5.0-liter V8 producing 225
horsepower— the same powerhouse found in Ford’s performance cars of its
era—giving it the authority to roar down the open highway. (Picture from: ClassicCars) |
Today,
the Sparks Pegasus Cabriolet feels almost mythical. In an age dominated by high-tech electric vehicles and algorithm-driven design, it stands as a reminder of a more romantic automotive era — one when individuality and craftsmanship were enough to make a car legendary. It may not have been produced in great numbers, nor did it chase mainstream success, but that was never the point. Its rarity is its essence; its existence, a whisper of a time when builders poured their identity into metal and chrome.
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| The Sparks Pegasus Cabriolet blended Sparks’ mechanical vision with Alain Clenet’s refined aesthetic touch, resulting in a California-built car infused with the spirit of European coachbuilding. (Picture from: WorldCarsFromThe1930sTo1980s in Facebook) |
Every once in a while, a car comes along that doesn’t just transport people — it transports ideas, emotions, and memories of what driving used to mean. The Sparks Pegasus Cabriolet is one of those cars. It’s less a machine and more a signature — Ron Sparks’ signature — written in steel, leather, and horsepower. *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | AIDEN JEWELL IN FLICKR | CLASSICCARS | DRIVE2.RU | WORLD CARS FROM THE 1930S TO 1980S IN FACEBOOK | PINTEREST ]
