We’re days into the New Year, which means we’re either still looking for resolutions that will make this year better than 2020 or have already broken a couple of them. Should any story be your motivation for today, please let it be this one.
This is the story of Kelvin, an 18-year-old who lives outside of Accra, in Ghana. His family is not rich, and as you might have guessed, he lives in a country where owning a car is considered a luxury in and of itself. So, because he can’t afford to buy one, he built it himself.
We’ve heard stories like this one before, of young men from remote countries who take automotive design into their own hands. Their videos almost always go viral because even if their cars are less than perfect, they’re admirable feats for the sole reason that they got built. This is just like this: Kelvin’s story reached the ears (and eyes) of travel vlogger Drew Binsky, who traveled to Ghana to meet him.
He got Kelvin to talk about his project and was even treated to a ride in the unique creation, and was left impressed at how it handled like a real car. He remarked the amount of detail on the build and how well it handled, and praised Kelvin for pursuing his dream in the video you can watch at the bottom of the page.
Kelvin says the total cost of the two-seater would be under $200 and that it took him three years to put it together. That's because he worked after school and with whatever money he had at the moment to buy scrap metal. Everything was done by hand, and he worked mostly alone.
The engine under the hood is from a motorcycle. There’s even a radio system inside, so that he can blast his favorite tunes on the way to school. The car doesn’t have windows, but the gullwing doors do open, even if they don’t shut completely. The headliner is styrofoam, according to Binsky, and the seats look comfy enough.
Granted, this car needs more polishing, but that’s not the main takeaway from this story. That would be Kelvin’s message to other youths out there: always follow your dream, despite what others might tell you.
If a teenager can build a functional car from scrap metal and with just $200, maybe the future isn’t that bleak.
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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