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Brunton Auto - Southwest Florida Business Profile

When Scott Minehart purchased Brunton Auto three years ago during the worst of the recession, the St. Petersburg kit car maker was selling about six or seven cars a year. Now, after expanding the product line, the company is on target this year to sell 20 or more Stalkers, a street-legal race car based on the classic British Lotus 7. Do-it-yourself kits range from $9,900 to $45,000, although a typical model can be built for about $22,000. For the less handy, finished cars are also available, says Minehart, 26. “I want to get the guy who would buy a Porsche to buy my car,” he says.