![]() ![]() Initially, the car was supposed to be named XTAB (eXperimental Truck Alexander Brothers), but thankfully, that never happened. The stunning custom debuted at the 1967 Detroit Autorama, where it blew people's minds and grabbed no less than nine awards - including the prestigious Ridler Award for the most creative build. While it was as complicated as it sounds, the novel ingress and egress system worked - as long as the passengers weren't too tall. The drag racing-style yoke fashioned out of an Oldsmobile steering wheel also had to move out of the way to allow the driver to climb in, so the entire steering system was custom-built.įurthermore, the gauges were moved to the front side of the left door panel and the shortened central console. ![]() To make it all work, the interior had to be completely redesigned. The upper part that contained the windshield was supported by an off-center telescopic beam powered by an electric motor, while the bottom panel was operated manually. They eventually developed a complex two-piece system featuring an upward-opening windshield and a bottom panel that swiveled on a central pivot, allowing passengers to climb into each seat. Initially, the idea was to create a forward-opening hatch hinged on the roof, but the A100's slim A-pillars couldn't support the structure's weight, so Bradley and the Alexanders had to improvise. The brothers loved it, and from then on, they were hellbent on building it.īradley was a fan of sleek-looking designs, so he proposed deleting the conventional doors and replacing them with an alternative ingress and egress system. They presented the idea to Bradley, who immediately unleashed its creativity by creating a wild sketch. The friendship started in 1962, shortly after Bradley moved to Detroit, joining General Motors' design staff.Ībout two years later, the brothers became obsessed with the idea of customizing one of Detroit's new compact van-based cab-over pickup trucks inspired by the Volkswagen Type 2. The story of the legendary custom starts with a friendship between designer Harry Bentley Bradley and Detroit-based custom car builders Mike and Larry Alexander.Ī huge fan of custom cars and already a talented designer, the young Bradley - a student at the time - started making money by regularly submitting futuristic sketches to custom car-focused publications such as Customs Illustrated, Rod & Custom, Re-styling, and Custom Rodding.īradley's out-of-the-world designs caught the attention of the Alexander brothers, who would end up forging a friendship with the stylist and transform several of his sketches into reality during the 1960s. ![]()
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