Interstyl Hustler is The Quirky Wood Kit Car That You Have Never Heard Of

Yes, the whole body is made from wood.

Wood is not a material that you would consider a favorite for building cars. Mainstream automakers have used it occasionally, especially with American companies in late 1940s. And then there’s Morison. Wood is often confined to specific sections of the vehicle car. This crazy car kit takes this concept to the next level.

The Hustler is its name and the whole body is made of marine plywood. This isn’t a wood panel over a metal unibody. Everything from the wheels up to the floor is made of wood. This includes the dash and pillars, floor, as well as small items such the gear shift knob. Wooden inner fenders, core support and firewall are also found under the hood. This car does not have crumple zones in the event of a collision. Instead, it has splinter areas.

However, it’s not all wood. It has a fiberglass underside and uses rear and front subframes from the Mini. The Mini is the source of most of the mechanical parts, including the steering wheel, and cluster. The Hillman Hunter headlights and the Triumph Dolomite taillights were sourced from an Mini. However, a few components, such as the external mirrors, are not identifiable.

Interstyl Hustler is The Quirky Wood Kit Car That You Have Never Heard Of

You might be able to see a resemblance between this car and the Aston Martin Lagonda if you look at its exterior, particularly the front. Both vehicles were designed around the same period by William Towns, a noted designer. The Hustler was first created by Towns in 1978 as a concept and then they were made available for sale in 1979. Although wood wasn’t the only choice for buyers, it was clearly the most intriguing. Towns’ Interstyl Design, which he established after leaving Aston Martin, sold 500 kits.

This 1982 model was built by a skilled carpenter. The furiousdriving YouTube video shows that the wood kit came with blueprints and not precut pieces. These doors are made from large pieces of sliding glass that fit in the body of the car. There are even wooden luggage rails for their roof. There are two seats in the front and two jump seats in the rear. It drives almost like a Mini, but with more vibration and noise. This makes it very popular and attracts a lot of attention.

We don’t know how many Hustler kits were intended for wood construction out of the 500 sold. This relic from the 1980s is also unique in that each Hustler kit comes with a wood body made to order.