Hot WheelsNo one will ever accuse designer/educator/journalist/visionary Harry Bentley Bradley of being in any way conventional. But the one wacky-yet-thoroughly-wonderful (at least in a mid-'60s sort of way) design he's perhaps best known for is the Dodge Deora. Dodge had envisioned a mild customizing project founded on its new A-100 van-based pickup. Bradley's imagination took the project way beyond mild.
Although the "passengers up-front" layout and stock slant-six powertrain were retained, everything else was tossed. An amazing number of parts actually came from Ford's parts bin. A station wagon roof section and tailgate, for example, became the Deora's swiveling front door. Even early Mustang taillight bezels were used as side-exit exhaust tips!
Built by the Alexander brothers, the Deora was popular on the show circuit and spawned several model kits. In fact, it was a car model magazine contest for the AMT kit that actually got the truck named Deora. However, it's likely best remembered as the inspiration for one of the all-time coolest-and now most produced-Hot Wheels toys. But wait: Where are the surfboards? They were added by Mattel and never were a part of Bradley's original design.-Matt Stone and Thomas Voehringer