NMNA - Orbital engine powered Ford Aspire - NH

I figure someone here has a stash of Orbital engines and parts...

https://boston.craigslist.org/gbs/clt/d/newbury-unique-prototype-collectable/7072514080.html

Craigslist Guy says:

Back in the 1990's a Western Australia company called Orbital Engine, Ltd. perfected a direct-injection system that rendered 2-stroke engines clean and fuel efficient. It also rendered 4 strokes more efficient and more readily optimized without after-treatment or alteration of existing catalytic converter systems.

At various times Ford, GM, Mercedes-Benz, and Saab considered using this system in cars. Mercury outboards Optimax line uses the same system. Ford actually began outfitting a production facility in Tecumseh Michigan but then cancelled. Currently Orbital Engine supplies variants of the system for powering drones. Several scooter companies began installing the system in the early 00's, which spurred technology improvements in small 4 strokes, which killed the market for small 2-strokes despite their superior performance.

There is a unique MIT connection there in that the Ford initiative was cancelled in part due to the input from Dr. John Heywood from the Sloan Automotive Lab.

I came by prototype 001 in the late 1990s and have provenance as well as technical manuals and testing/monitoring software (in old format). I also have the emissions testing records for when I drove it in Connecticut and New Hampshire. However, two years ago the engine began making "bad noises" and my adventurous mechanic retired so I've not had means to maintain it.

I'm looking for a good home for it, preferably with someone who has some idiosyncratic interest in "what might have been" cars. If you're that special "unique" someone, get in touch and we can correspond further about this.

Thanks for your interest.

And not one picture of the engine.  What a bummer

We should all get together and buy this for Alfadriver.

One picture. 

I came in here expecting something like this, because "orbital engine" makes me think it can get a payload into orbit.

In reply to Sparkydog :

I mean, it could become that, since the existing engine is dead anyway. 

Interesting! Here's some photos of an engine:

https://collection.maas.museum/object/379123#&gid=1&pid=2

And it sounds from this article like 100 of the Festivas were built:

https://www.carmrades-blog.com/all-articles/2017/11/24/failure-to-launch-the-orbital-engine-company

I don't know how I never heard of it, but it sounds like an interesting footnote in automotive engineering history.

Let's see..  

Car looks like jellybean?  Check.  

Car painted obnoxious "neon" color? Check.   

Car features wierd graphics or script on side?  Check.

Car features unnecessary factory aerodynamic accessories that look kinda like those on a real racecar?  Check.

Car has 3 spoke wheels? Check.  

Interior Upholstery likely looks like the carpet at a chuck-e-cheeze? Likely Check.  

Car uses obscure engine you've probably never heard of?  Check.

Checklist complete, that pretty much settles it, this car wins 90s Radwood.  

Oh, and if it's an early Orbital engine, it may have hard parts from the Suzuki triple cylinder 2-stroke motorcycles, so it might be possible to ressurect it.

I desperately want someone who's closer to buy this and try to learn how work on these engines.  

I just want those wheels. OK so I want the whole car, but I mostly want those wheels. I don't know nothin bout no orbital engine.