To many people, the car they drive is a reflection of their personality as much as it is a practical means of getting from place to place. New cars are chosen in part by how appealing they are in the showroom but not everyone finds exactly the vehicle theyve always dreamed of inside a dealership. Some creative individuals have modified their cars and trucks into entirely unique creations. If you see any of these vehicles on the road, stop and take a closer look; I can promise that youll never see anything else quite like them.
The camera car
Some people have chosen to cover the exterior of their cars with very specific articles. The camera car is actually an old panel van covered from top to bottom with dozens of vintage cameras and camera accessories. These cameras have been adhered securely to the vans exterior in geometric designs that take into consideration the shape, size, and color of each camera. Though the cameras are primarily black in color, once placed on the van the interesting textures and variations in shade pop out and create a surface thats entirely unique.
The disk drive
In the days before the 1.44 MG hard computer disks came into use, people used five inch floppy disks. These were large, flat, colorful, and could bend slightly – hence the name. One creative person put these characteristics to work by covering their two door car with hundreds of these flexible square tiles. The creative car owner arranged the disks in patterns like diagonal stripes and even color-changing gradient effects. I think its the mosaic effect that makes this vehicle so noteworthy.
Some car owners dont give much thought to thematically organizing the items that get put on their car. The surface of a vehicle is a canvas that some people just cant resist gluing things to. The result is a collection of entirely unique vehicles out there covered in items that are meaningful to the owner. Some of these custom creations were made as artistic expressions, capturing sentiments such as freedom, national pride, and even religious piety. Others, such as the antler car I once spotted, probably have a more abstract meaning. Either way, there are several dozen such cars on the road today so there is a good chance youll spot one.
The duck car
Gluing a collection of objects to the exterior of a vehicle takes quite a bit of time, planning, and adhesive. Many such cars exist today and each is a testament to their owners enthusiasm for a particular object or idea. Some car owners express their unique vision in a different way and reshape their cars exterior altogether. Somewhere under that new skin is a familiar vehicle though you might have to look very closely to see it.
One impressive example of an altered vehicle is the duck car. This car is almost entirely hidden by an enormous rubber duck-style exterior. The duck is formed by 3D framework with colored fabric stretched over it. Large blue eyes and a smiling orange beak complete the shape. Lights inside the car can be turned on to illuminate the giant duck at night. The shaped exterior is light enough that the vehicle can be driven but since the fabric obscures the windshield it isnt safe to take very far.
The mouse car
The mouse car is an older example of this type of altered vehicle that, according to contemporary reports, was driven on the road. The owner attached a furry surface to a VW Beetle, added large round ears to the roof, a black nose to the hood, and teeth to the front bumper. Even the hubcaps were covered with fur. The windshield was partially covered so the mouse car probably wasnt very safe to drive. Some people have suggested that the mouse car served as inspiration for the puppy car that was featured in the movie Dumb and Dumber. This creative vehicle is still featured on many lists of unusual vehicles; it really is one of a kind.
The UFO car
One of my personal favorite altered vehicles is the well-known UFO car. This odd creation also started life as a VW Beetle though was later transformed into a flying saucer. A large round skirt of shaped metal is firmly attached to the vehicles exterior. The headlights have their own small metal bonnets and the owner added turn signals to the lower edge of the UFO. Finally, a large hole was cut in the roof and covered with a clear Plexiglas dome so the driver and passengers can always look up at the night sky. While the UFO car isnt the largest or most elaborate covered vehicle, it is one of the classic examples of this unusual form of creative expression.
