The real-life Deora was built by
Detroit customizers Mike and
Larry Alexander and based on the
homely Dodge A100 forward-con-
trol pickup launched in 1964. The
radical cab-forward design was the
work of GM designer and custom
car enthusiast Harry Bentley
Bradley. There were no doors.
Entry to the slammed cabin was via
the front; the hinged windshield—
from a 1960 Ford—and custom lower
panel move to provide access.
The 225-cubic-inch slant-six engine
was moved rearward 15 inches, making it
almost mid-engine, and the radiator and
gas tank moved to the pickup bed and
are covered with a hard, fixed tonneau.
Although the Deora project was officially
sponsored by Chrysler, which leased it
to tour auto shows in 1967 and 1968, it
featured a surprising number of Ford
parts. The rear window was from a 1960
Ford sedan, the side exhaust vents were
1964-1/2 Mustang taillight bezels, and
the ingenious taillights, hidden under
a wood veneer panel across the rear
and only visible when reflected in the
angled chrome strip underneath, were
sequential turn signal units from a
Thunderbird.
The Deora won nine trophies,
including the coveted Ridler Award, at
the 1967 Detroit Autorama, by which
time designer Bradley had left GM to
join (of all places) Mattel, where he
designed the Hot Wheels Original 16.It’s a door, Jim, but not as we know it. Entry
to the Deora’s cabin involved opening the
electrically powered windshield and swiveling the
front panel. The steering wheel was mounted on
a movable strut to allow access.The full-size Twin Mill looks extreme
on the road today. But 1960s rod and
custom car builders regularly built
full-size vehicles that were just as
imaginatively over-the-top.
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