Think you've seen it all when it comes to custom cars? Well, how about a Chevrolet Bel Air with two front ends, two steering wheels, and a rearward-facing passenger seat? Nope, I'm not talking about a sketch in a comic book. This thing is real and it's as bizarre as they get.
Stand in front of this two-in-one vehicle and you'll gaze at the front fascia of a 1953 Chevrolet Bel Air. Go around back and surprise: the Bel Air rear end is missing. Instead, you'll be looking at the front end of a 1953 Pontiac Chieftain. Both front ends include engine hoods, so this contraption is pretty much a two-seater with a short roof flanked by long decks.
And things become very confusing when you circle the car, mostly because the 1953 Chevy Bel Air and Pontiac Chieftain look almost identical. Yes, aficionados will immediately spot the different bumpers and the Pontiac's unique nose trim, but bystanders that don't know much about these cars will probably rub their eyes in disbelief.
As if having two similar front fascias isn't confusing enough, the car also features two steering wheels, one in each direction. No, the car doesn't have two engines and only the wheels on the Bel Air front end turn, but that doesn't make things less weird. Just imagine driving behind this thing and seeing the rear-facing passenger moving the steering wheel while starring into your eyes. That's how horror movies with murderous vehicles (like Maximum Overdrive) begin, man!
So what's the story of this Chevrolet Starchief... erm... Pontiac Bel Air... uhm... car. What's the story of this car, you ask? Unfortunately, there's not a lot of info out there. Apparently, it was built by a guy in Kentucky a long time ago and it changed hands quite a few times in recent years.
The current owner, a big fan of weird-looking cars, got it in a trade and he's driving it more often than you'd think, mostly to show it off at local car events. And I must admit that the Chevy-Pontiac contraption is worthy of a few trophies. If not for the weird looks, at least for the great craftsmanship, because this build is flawless.
The engine is located in the Bel Air front end and it's an original Chevrolet mill from 1953. Specifically, this two-door draws juice from a 235-cubic-inch (3.9-liter) Blue Flame inline-six. Shared with the first-generation Chevrolet Corvette, the six-cylinder pumped 106 horsepower in the 1953 Bel Air.
Call me silly, but I'd like to see this thing pack a small-block V8 and run a few quarter-mile sprints.
Ask Ciprian about cars and he'll reveal an obsession with classics and an annoyance with modern design cues. Read his articles and you'll understand why his ideal SUV is the 1969 Chevrolet K5 Blazer. Full profile
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