Rusting 1950s DeSoto Wagon Boasts Unbelievable Interior

Ridiculous Rides

IN CHATSWORTH California, what looks like a parking lot full of rusting cars, is actually home to some of the most original custom-built rides in the world. The vehicles that leave the 'Icon' workshop under the 'Derelict' brand are unique reimagined classics. Dated vehicles in awful conditions are revamped, making them fit for modern day driving. However, the company never restores the shells, giving these vehicles their trademark rough and rusty look. Founder Jonathan Ward told FutureStudiosCars: "Derelict will never repeat the same build twice, each one is a singular high-functioning sculpture." The first ever Derelict build, still owned by Jonathan, is a 1951 DeSoto Wagon mashed up with a Chrysler Town & Country. By combining elements from the two cars, the Derelict DeSoto is completely authentic on the outside, but modern on the inside. Modern A/C units and bluetooth audio connectivity are some of the modern-day features of this one-of-a-kind masterpiece. But why keep the original shell? "I wanted something alternative but imperfect, so that I don't have to worry about it - I don't want to be that guy who is super stressed out about that first scratch," said Jonathan.

Transcript

00:00I wanted something alternative but imperfect we get a lot of grief from

00:08people I don't really care each build is a singular high-functioning sculpture

00:14Chatsworth California this may look like a parking lot full of rusting junk but don't

00:28be fooled by the scruffy shells the vehicles that lead the Icon workshop are

00:34unique reimagined classics derelicts will never repeat the same bill twice

00:49each one is a singular high-functioning sculpture but why the unorthodox finish I

00:56wanted something alternative but imperfect so I don't have to worry about it they

01:02don't want to be that guy who's like super stressed out about the first scratch

01:06the bumper rash stuff like that and this vehicle is an epic two-car mashup it's

01:13technically a Chrysler town in country but the front hood and grille is a like a

01:19condition kind of sort of the same green 52 to Soto sedan bolted the two together

01:24and then I was like yes okay now we're on original car didn't have AC all the knobs

01:30and the switches are still kind of sort of in the original position for the

01:34modern AC controls I could maintain the consistency like same with the gauges I

01:39didn't restore them and make them all pretty everything down to the acrylic and

01:43the typeface is authentic but behind the scenes it's all video circuit board

01:48state-of-the-art and then the audio system it's a Bluetooth dependent digital

01:54sound processor interfaced amplified audio system with bass meaning I just control

01:59it from my phone and there's nothing visual that you have to interface with in

02:04the vehicle this was a 3,000 hour build for Jonathan and his team and it comes

02:11complete with some quirky touches it's just fun to add a little bit of tongue-in-cheek

02:16have a little sense of humor in these builds with this one I went to a really

02:21cool old aircraft surplus place and bought some vintage hardware that's used

02:25throughout the vehicle there's a cool before flight release safety pin that I

02:30used is the hole down on the air filter enclosure overflow reservoir for the

02:36radiator I scored a 1800s whiskey bottle and then with all of our vehicles

02:43everything has our mascot the icon lizard on it fun thing with the derelicts is he's

02:48never in the same place and it's always responding to the shape of the car just

02:53feels natural like he would son himself there he's right there up front on the

02:59hood

03:01Jonathan's company started out as a land cruiser service center and he wasn't

03:06prepared for the impact the DeSoto build would have on his business we're a

03:11little pinch is Thursday or Monday good for you when I built this wagon it was

03:18like a nights and weekends personal project but then within like a week or

03:24two of finishing it it started getting all sorts of love and attention and next

03:29thing I know it's on the cover a hot rod magazine it won some design awards and

03:34it was like oh I guess I can keep building these let's call them derelicts and now the

03:39icon team are producing 10 of these one-off customs a year it starts with

03:44generally either a client has an appreciation for our antics and they

03:49come and say I just love the concept what do you want to build that you haven't

03:53built or it's hyper specific something that that the client already has a deep

04:01emotional relationship with then I'll get kind of down and dirty with the client to

04:07understand a great number of things including what's their style what materials do you

04:13find appealing how obnoxious do you want it to be do you want it to be fast or do you

04:18want it to be stupid fast but despite business booming not everyone shares

04:23Jonathan's vision we get a lot of grief from people with the derelicts where they

04:28think we're idiots for putting all that time and energy into it but leaving it

04:32looking as if it's left in the barn you know what though I don't really care it's

04:39stuff that excites me and the fact that it's not for everyone kind of makes it

04:45better to me

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