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IN CHATSWORTH California, what looks like a parking lot full of rusting cars, is actually home to some of the most original custom-built rides in the world. The vehicles that leave the 'Icon' workshop under the 'Derelict' brand are unique reimagined classics. Dated vehicles in awful conditions are revamped, making them fit for modern day driving. However, the company never restores the shells, giving these vehicles their trademark rough and rusty look. Founder Jonathan Ward told FutureStudiosCars: "Derelict will never repeat the same build twice, each one is a singular high-functioning sculpture." The first ever Derelict build, still owned by Jonathan, is a 1951 DeSoto Wagon mashed up with a Chrysler Town & Country. By combining elements from the two cars, the Derelict DeSoto is completely authentic on the outside, but modern on the inside. Modern A/C units and bluetooth audio connectivity are some of the modern-day features of this one-of-a-kind masterpiece. But why keep the original shell? "I wanted something alternative but imperfect, so that I don't have to worry about it - I don't want to be that guy who is super stressed out about that first scratch," said Jonathan.
Transcript
00:00I wanted something alternative but imperfect we get a lot of grief from
00:08people I don't really care each build is a singular high-functioning sculpture
00:14Chatsworth California this may look like a parking lot full of rusting junk but don't
00:28be fooled by the scruffy shells the vehicles that lead the Icon workshop are
00:34unique reimagined classics derelicts will never repeat the same bill twice
00:49each one is a singular high-functioning sculpture but why the unorthodox finish I
00:56wanted something alternative but imperfect so I don't have to worry about it they
01:02don't want to be that guy who's like super stressed out about the first scratch
01:06the bumper rash stuff like that and this vehicle is an epic two-car mashup it's
01:13technically a Chrysler town in country but the front hood and grille is a like a
01:19condition kind of sort of the same green 52 to Soto sedan bolted the two together
01:24and then I was like yes okay now we're on original car didn't have AC all the knobs
01:30and the switches are still kind of sort of in the original position for the
01:34modern AC controls I could maintain the consistency like same with the gauges I
01:39didn't restore them and make them all pretty everything down to the acrylic and
01:43the typeface is authentic but behind the scenes it's all video circuit board
01:48state-of-the-art and then the audio system it's a Bluetooth dependent digital
01:54sound processor interfaced amplified audio system with bass meaning I just control
01:59it from my phone and there's nothing visual that you have to interface with in
02:04the vehicle this was a 3,000 hour build for Jonathan and his team and it comes
02:11complete with some quirky touches it's just fun to add a little bit of tongue-in-cheek
02:16have a little sense of humor in these builds with this one I went to a really
02:21cool old aircraft surplus place and bought some vintage hardware that's used
02:25throughout the vehicle there's a cool before flight release safety pin that I
02:30used is the hole down on the air filter enclosure overflow reservoir for the
02:36radiator I scored a 1800s whiskey bottle and then with all of our vehicles
02:43everything has our mascot the icon lizard on fun thing with the derelicts is he's
02:49never in the same place and it's always responding to the shape of the car just
02:53feels natural like he would son himself there he's right there up front on the
02:59hood
03:01Jonathan's company started out as a land cruiser service center and he wasn't
03:06prepared for the impact the de Soto build would have on his business we're a
03:11little pinch is Thursday or Monday good for you when I built this wagon it was like a
03:19nights and weekends personal project but then within like a week or two of
03:24finishing it it started getting all sorts of love and attention and next thing I
03:29know it's on the cover of hot rod magazine it won some design awards and it was like oh I
03:35guess I can keep building these let's call them derelicts and now the icon team are producing 10 of
03:41these one-off customs a year it starts with generally either a client has an
03:46appreciation for our antics and they come and say I just love the concept what do
03:52you want to build that you haven't built yet or it's hyper specific something that
03:59that the client already has a deep emotional relationship with then I'll
04:05get kind of down and dirty with the client to understand a great number of
04:09things including what's their style what materials do you find appealing how
04:14obnoxious do you want it to be do you want it to be fast or do you want it to be
04:18stupid fast but despite business booming not everyone shares Jonathan's vision we
04:25get a lot of grief from people with the derelicts where they think we're idiots
04:29for putting all that time and energy into it but leaving it looking as if it's
04:33left in the barn you know what though I don't really care it's stuff that excites
04:40me and the fact that it's not for everyone kind of makes it better
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