Replica cars or project cars can sometimes come out as cooler than the originals they’re based on, if only for the kind of dedication a small team or just one person puts into it. This is definitely one of those cases.
Earlier this year, a video from vlogger David Jones went viral: it was the video in which he detailed the making of his dream car, a Lamborghini Aventador. He said he’d driven one in Los Angeles once and, since then, “couldn’t stop thinking” about it. So he started to build his own in his garage in New Zealand.
Clearly, you can’t just build yourself a Lambo that’s close to the real thing, but you can try. Jones opted for cardboard and used a model for a paper Lamborghini he found online but blown up by five times. He and his friend worked at the project for two and a half weeks; first a standing cardboard Lamborghini Aventador replica, the car was then turned into an operable version.
“Operable” is a relative term since the cardboard construction rolled on 20-inch bike wheels with a very basic steering mechanism and was supported by a rudimentary wooden frame. It was basically a kart with a plastic lawn chair covered by the cardboard body of the car. The initial plan was to put a motor from an electric skateboard on it, but it wasn’t powerful enough, so Jones opted for “Flintstone power.”
The Cardborghini, as he would call it, rolled when you moved it by foot. But it had braking, a fake license plate that read “HONDA,” working door and windows, and it was glorious!
No surprise then that it fetched $10,000 at auction, as Stuff.co.nz confirms. Jones listed it on a trading website, thinking he’d fetch about $50. He tells the publication he no longer had room for it in his garage and, not wanting to toss it in the garbage, thought about selling it to raise money for a children’s hospital where he was also treated for cancer.
To his surprise, a buyer from nearby offered him $10,000. He’s yet unsure how to send the cardboard replica over, but he’s thrilled that he’s been able to raise this kind of money for such a wonderful cause.
Just as importantly, though, the masterpiece below gets to live on.
Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends. Full profile
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