the Lime Rock track, where driver Dolph Vilardi recorded lap times of 1 minute 16 seconds even though the engine mixture was too lean and only three-quarter throttle was used. Top speed was estimated to be . The Asardo debuted at the 1959 New York auto show. It was listed at a suggested price of US$5875.00 and was to be built at a rate of two cars per month in a new production facility in Weehawken, New Jersey. Schlosser and his financial backers disagreed about how the car would be sold. The financiers wanted to offer the Asardo as a partially completed car that allowed the buyer to choose their engine while Schlosser insisted that the car be sold complete with the Alfa engine. They parted ways over the difference and Schlosser went to Europe in search of alternate financing. 3500 GM-S Schlosser spent most of 1960 searching unsuccessfully for new backers. When he returned to the United States late that year former New York Giant turned auto dealer and racing driver Charlie Kolb with Florida VW/Porsche dealer Overkey Motors engaged Schlosser to redesign the Asardo to accept the Buick "215" aluminum V8 then under development at General Motors. Schlosser redesigned the chassis to make room for the new engine but kept the same body. The Buick engine and a Corvette transmission were installed in the car. Schlosser had designed an independent suspension system for the rear of the car but did not have the opportunity to install it, so the Alfa differential remained. The revised Asardo was renamed the 3500 GM-S. In competition and later history Vilardi raced the car in 1959 and was able to post a third place in the Montgomery preliminary on August 8 and a fourth place at the Lime Rock preliminary on October 17. After this Kolb made some track appearances. At various times the car has been owned by collectors in the United States, Japan, Germany and Spain. The Buick V8 has also been replaced with a 1600cc Alfa Romeo engine. The original 1500cc engine is reported to have languished behind an Alfa dealer in California for several years before being sold. Alfa Romeo Giulia TZ controversy In his 2002 book "Alfa Romeo TZ - Zagato Autodelta Conrero", author, racing driver and classic car dealer Philippe Olczyk suggested that the Asardo had strongly influenced the design of the Alfa Romeo Giulia TZ sports