Newly arrived sci-fi six-wheeler turns heads at Lakeland Motor Museum
Motor enthusiasts in Lancashire A new arrival at the Lakeland Motor Museum in Cumbria is turning a few heads with its distinctive looks. With its futuristic people carrier appearance, the Hustler six wheeler from the 1970s is said by some to have been the forerunner of today’s modern SUV vehicles – others say it looks like a Popemobile!
The Hustler, a mini-based kit car, was the outcome of a project which began in 1978 and was the brainchild of British car designer Bill Towns. He was best known for his work on the Aston Martin 1967 DBS and the futuristic and angular Lagonda. The Hustler was later developed into a kit car by his Interstyl design studio.
The museum’s new exhibit features an Austin Allegro 1275cc engine mounted on the front subframe of a Mini. The rear four wheels are two British Leyland Mini rear subframes.
It was designed as an off road utility vehicle and this version has a steel frame with glass fibre panels. They sold at a price of between £1700 and £2000. Some were made into ice cream vans.
They were light, easy to drive, with a long lasting fibre glass body. At the 1981 Earl’s Court Motor Show a wooden version was introduced.
Brochures at the time told prospective buyers: “You don’t need to be a cabinet maker to build the body, all the joints are easily within the ability of a typical handyman.”
Chris Lowe, Curator at the Lakeland Motor Museum, says: “It’s a striking looking vehicle and we are very grateful to the kind donator who passed the vehicle to us.
“There are only around 81 registered with the DVLA so they are increasingly rare. They come up for sale occasionally and benefit from the connection with the Bill Towns name. Models have sold for anything ranging from £8,000 to £16,000.”