‘Ahead of its time’: Wooden car goes under the hammer in Bristol | Automotive

Automotive

The Hustler DIY kit was designed by the former Rolls-Royce engineer and school carpentry teacher in the 1980s.

It has had a careful owner, has never failed a technical inspection and there is no way the body will rust.

But anyone who buys John Brazier’s car at auction next month will have to get used to some pretty weird looks when they take it out for a spin.

The body and interior of the six-wheeled Hustler car were crafted from wood by Brazier, a retired Bristol carpentry and metalwork professor.

Although it looks like something out of an animated movie, the Hustler should grab the world’s attention when it goes under the hammer.

“It’s probably the most amazing car I’ve ever seen,” said auctioneer Andrew Stowe. “It’s like something out of Thunderbirds.

“Everything is done to an incredible standard. Even the steering wheel and gear knob were handcrafted from wood. It was a real labor of love.

“Our client is keen to point out that it turned heads everywhere he drove, and was affectionately nicknamed the Popemobile by neighborhood kids.

“A wooden car could almost be something dreamed up by Elon Musk – a sustainable way to build cars, an environmentally friendly alternative to today’s mass production factories. He was remarkably ahead of his time. Who knows, 30 years from now, we may all be driving wooden cars.

The Hustlers were kit cars made by Gloucestershire designer William Towns, who also created the angular Aston Martin Lagonda.

Less than 400 Hustlers were built by motor enthusiasts, mostly in fiberglass. Brazier, who worked at a resort in Bristol, was one of those who chose to build his in wood.

The car has Mini wheel subframes and an Austin Allegro engine and seats, and Brazier – a former Rolls-Royce engineer who worked on Concorde in the 1960s – built everything he could out of wood during three summers in the 1980s.

Brazier, 76, said he decided to sell the car because he could no longer drive it. “I would love to see him ride once in a while, but I just hope he goes to a good home.”

He said he built it out of plywood and water-resistant ash, using his summer vacation from school to put in the hundreds of hours of work.

He could do “well over 60 mph” and he always felt safe there, he said. After a van collided with him because the driver was so taken aback by the way his car looked, he removed the dents from the hood by spraying it with water and then fixing the damage. “The wood reappears – you wouldn’t know it was damaged.”

Brazier added: “I will be sad to see him go, even sadder to see him in my garage. The main thing is that other people have the joy of watching it.

It served as the primary family vehicle for 13 years, taking the Brazier family across the country on vacation. He would also drive him to his school in Brislington.

It is spacious, seating up to eight people: two in the front, two in the middle and four on twin seats in the back.

The blurb for the sale says the attention to detail on the vehicle is “second to none”, including a wooden gear knob, handbrake handle and steering wheel. The car also has a tape recorder and a glove box with cup holders.

Details say it stopped being driven after a battery ran out. “No attempt has been made to start it since the early 2000s.”

It is expected to sell for between £2,000 and £3,000 at the Auctioneum’s art, antiques and classic car sale on September 1.