10 Of The Coolest Kustom Classics

Here at Restomods, we’re fans of the bespoke cars of the 1950s known as kustoms. Beautiful, unique, imaginative cars that represent the best combination of designers and cars that the 1940s, 50s, and 60s had to offer. We’ve talked about hot rods before, but it’s about time we discussed the works of George Barris, Bill Cushenberry, the Alexander Brothers, and more, and give them the respect they deserve. In this list, we’ve compiled 10 of the coolest Kustoms from their golden age. There’s far more cars we could get on this list, and if we’ve missed out one of your favorites, let us know!

The Monkeemobile

The Monkees are either, depending on your viewpoint, purveyors of classic pop music, or a boring manufactured boy band, a kind of bowl-cutted One Direction. Regardless of your views on their music, we can all agree that the Monkeemobile, the car featured in their eponymous TV series, is a work of art. Based on a Pontiac GTO, the car’s designer, Dean Jeffries, carved it into a unique kustom.

The original car featured a 6-71 blower, solid rear axle, and had a heavy rear end. Why? Well, Jeffries reasoned that sometimes you’ve gotta be able to pop a wheelie. The blower was later removed due to the overwhelming difficulty of controlling the car, replaced with a dummy unit.

The kustom was a strikingly strange looking car, as though a courtroom artist had to sketch the distorted lovechild of a GTO and a Ford Model T. That’s no bad thing, the car’s certainly cool, featuring a front and rear that were both stretched out by more than a foot, and a massive canvas roof. The trunk had been hollowed and replaced with a bench seat, giving the car a total capacity of 7, making it, effectively, a far cooler MPV. The rear taillights were exaggerated, the windshield cut and tilted, and the front wheel wells lengthened for the car’s trumpet exhaust. Adding to the drag strip aesthetic, there’s also a rear-mounted parachute. A bizarre and awesome bit of 60s auto culture, the Monkeemobile is a testament to Dean Jeffries’ skill as a designer.

Dodge Deora

Built by Mike and Larry Alexander for the 1967 Detroit Autorama, the Deora is quite unlike anything else you’ll ever see. Designed by Harry Bentley Bradley, who later went on to design most of the first run of Hot Wheels cars, the Deora is based on a Dodge A100, but it’s difficult to tell. The kustom features striking sci-fi looks, with the most obvious omission being the apparent lack of doors. To get into the Deora, you needed to lift the windshield, which had been taken from the backend of a station wagon, and then rotate a good chunk of the hinged front end, allowing you to clamber in. This also required the steering wheel to swing out of the way, and the gauges to be to either side of the driver, rather than directly in front of them. Once you were in, the interior was actually pretty nice, featuring wood and leather.

The exterior looks like an amphicar via Lost in Space, and to facilitate this reworking, a little work had to be done. The powertrain was moved 15 inches towards the rear, into the covered bed. However, the engine is the same slant-six you’d find in a normal A100, but fitted with an Offenhauser intake manifold with dual carb. The transmission, drum brakes, axles, and wheelbase were also kept as standard. A kustom that still looks pretty futuristic, the Deora is a strange, wonderful pickup that could never go into mass production.

El Matador

Built around 1960 by Bill Cushenberry, using a 1940 Ford as his base, El Matador is a mishmash of parts that form like Voltron into something far more potent. The car was sectioned by four and a half inches, while the roof was chopped by three and a half. The front fenders were extended, and the grille replaced with mesh. Corvette nerf bars were fitted in the front, and the car’s running board removed, replaced with one cut into the body. A large rear windshield, taken from a 1952 Chevrolet was fitted, while the front windshield came from a 1950 Rambler.

Painted in a translucent red, and boasting a futuristic dash, El Matador was stunning both inside and out. This kustom has something of a tragic history: after changing hands numerous times, it was destroyed in a fire in the early 90s. The remains were bought by one Harold Murphy, who was able to restore it, as well as fit the 5-liter engine and powertrain from a 1992 Saleen Mustang under the hood.

Hirohata Merc

Probably George Barris’ most famous kustom never featured on a TV show, the Hirohata Merc is also one of the most celebrated kustoms of all time. It’s easy to see why. Designed by George and his brother Sam for Bob Hirohata, the car began as a 1952 Mercury Club Coupe, but went on to become so much more. Firstly, let’s talk about the exterior. If you’re familiar with the Club Coupe, you’ll note that a lot’s been changed. The top was chopped by four inches at the front, and a whole seven in the back, leading to a stunning, swooping slant. The rear window was also moved, leaning it towards the front, that required a new roof piece. The B-pillar was also reshaped, curving forwards.

The car’s trims and accents came from a wide variety of sources: the side trim came from a 1952 Buick, with grille teeth from a ’52 Chevy. The car was fitted with Cadillac sombrero hubcaps. New skirts were also added, and dagmars fitted up front. The headlights were frenched, and the stock taillights replaced with those from a ’52 Lincoln Capri. Finished in a two-tone green color scheme, this kustom is an absolute stunner.

The Predicta

If you want a kustom that is unmistakably 1950s, you want the Predicta. Based on a 1956 Thunderbird, the car began as an absolute wreck. In 11 weeks Darryl Starbird turned it into the bubble-domed beauty you see before you (though the dome actually wasn’t attached completely until later). As well as the dome, the Predicta had another strange modification: a control stick, rather than a steering wheel. The stick was centrally located, with two sets of pedals, meaning both of the car’s occupants could control it. Similar to the Golden Sahara II we recently covered, there was also a TV mounted inside the Predicta.

The front and rear grille openings were widened as part of the Predicta’s build, and the car’s lines were streamlined, sweeping back to the fins. The car was very well received, winning the Sweepstakes of the Future award at the Grand National Roadster Show in 1960, and Motor Life’s Custom of the Year that same year.

Doane Spencer’s 1932 Ford

One of the first kustoms, the car that would go on to be known as Doane Spencer’s 1932 Ford was first bought by Jack Dorn in 1941. Dorn shaved the decklid, fitted a DuVall windshield and a 1937 flathead V8, modified the cowl, and filled the grille shell. Spencer bought it from Dorn in 1944, removed the fenders, and fitted a 258 ci Mercury V8.

After Spencer’s modifications, the car won Best Appearing Roadster at the 1947 Pasadena Roadster Club’s Reliability Run. Spencer worked on the car until he switched to a 1957 Thunderbird, and started to sell the car piecemeal. The remaining parts were bought in 1958 by Lynn Wineland for $300. The car now sits in the Petersen Automotive Museum. If you’re ever passing the museum, stop by, and take a look at this awesome bit of automotive history.

Miss Elegance

Another car that rose phoenix-like from the ashes of a wreck, Joe Bailon’s 1941 Chevy, Miss Elegance, is a work of art. When Bailon bought it, the Chevy had extensive damage from being hit by a train and burned. In total, the wreck cost just $50, and he set to work making it better than new. The car was chopped, and a new grille surround created up front. He filled this with hand bent chrome rods, creating the gorgeous grille from scratch. He also fitted a new front bumper, taken from a late 40s Chevy.

Later, he added 1941 Caddy rear fenders, and created a new wraparound rear window with chrome dividers. Later, Joe fitted chrome scoops to the rear fenders, and created a new rear bumper complete with handmade exhaust outlets. He then finished the car in maroon, mixed with silver, and painted over a base of yellow. This was to be the start of Joe’s famous Candy Apple Red paint scheme. At the 1952 National Roadster Show, the Chevy, then known as “The Dashboard” won the National Award. The reasoning behind this name was simple: the kustom featured a somewhat extravagant dash setup, composed of 15 dials and 32 buttons, with the dash also being chrome plated. The rest of the interior was just as sumptuous, having been reupholstered in red velvet by Joe’s second wife.

An oft-forgotten kustom that lives up to its name, this car shows exactly what is possible with a little thought and a lot of talent.

The Batmobile

Now this had to be mentioned. Probably the most famous kustom car of all time, I mean, come on, it’s the god damn Batmobile. Another George Barris creation, this car began as a one-off Lincoln concept, the Futura. In just three weeks, it was transformed into the vehicle that would be made famous around the world in Adam West’s run as the Caped Crusader. Herb Grasse, an associate designer, drew up the plans, and George’s team set to work.

The tail fins were reshaped, the wheel wells opened, and a custom exhaust, created from a 5 gallon paint tin, was fitted. The aforementioned Bill Cushenberry also worked on the car, making numerous changes to the car’s metalwork. A custom paint job finished the kustom off, and it was delivered to the studio. Following the series’ run, Barris kept the car, showing it off at countless public appearances in the decades since. In 2013, Barris finally parted company with the car, selling it for a cool $4.2 million to an anonymous buyer in Virginia.

The Orbitron

KustomramaCreated by the late, great Ed Roth in 1964, this car demonstrates customization taken to the extreme. Looking like a dragster from the year 3000, the car is a hodge-podge of various different parts. The Orbitron’s 283 engine came from Roth’s 1955 Chevy, installed inside the car’s handmade fiberglass body, that covered the chromed chassis. The kustom’s rear end came from a 1956 Chevy. The front axle was a Ford V8-60 with Buick drums and Lincoln brakes. The front suspension was also handmade, a four-bar set up with cross leaf spring mounted on a suicide perch. The most eye-catching feature of the car is the dome covering the cockpit. Made of plexiglass, the dome was hydraulic, covering a cabin lined with fake fur and featuring an 11-inch TV.

The aforementioned Darryl Starbird bought the Orbitron from Roth in 1967, who then traded it to an unknown Texan collector. Eventually, the car ended up in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, in the hands of a carnival operator. The car, believed lost for many years, was eventually tracked down by restoration expert, Michael Lightbourn, who found it parked in front of an adult bookstore in Ciudad Juarez. It was in a fairly sorry state by this point, missing its fake fur interior, the TV, the dome, its distinctive nose, and hood. Lightbourn was able to buy it back from its owner after much negotiation, and then sold it to Beau Boeckmann, who fully restored it.

El Capitola

Horrific Spanish aside, this is a wonderful full kustom. The last such car created by Sam Barris at his Sacramento garage, the custom 1957 Chevrolet 210 was created for Don Fletcher. The roof was chopped by three inches up front and five in the rear, and the car’s B-pillar was removed. The windows were butted together, creating an unbroken expanse of glass from the hood to the trunk. Quad Lucas headlights were installed at the front, the hood reshaped, and massive 96-inch fins installed at the rear. Back there, you’d also find split DeSoto bumpers. The door handles were removed too, with an electrical system responsible for opening and closing them.

The interior featured bucket seats, and white Naugahyde upholstery, and replete with a chintzy French gold frieze. The car featured a TV, tape recorder, and a phone. Finished in Dust Pearl white with Kandy Burgundy on the panels, El Capitola was a good-looking legacy for Sam Barris to leave behind.