Originally designed by Harr Bentley Bradley for the Alexander Brothers in 1967, as a real customisation, the Dodge Deora was one of the original sixteen models in the Hot Wheels lineup and probably the most radical. Taking the custom and futuristic concept and nailing it firmly to the wall, it stood out from the other cars by a country mile. Added to this was the super cool inclusion of the two plastic surfboards on the back of the model, this was something unlike any of the model cars I had seen at the time. As a result it was my very first Hot Wheels car and because they were very much more expensive than the standard Matchbox and Husky ranges, which I was collecting at the time, it was very much adored. Since then, my Hot Wheels collection has grown and I have managed to find almost all the models from my catalogue wants list. My original purple Deora has been battered over the decades, lost its surfboards and been stripped back and repainted at least three times in an effort to restore its former glory. Mattel have since released several versions of the classic model, including a deformed version with pop out engine, a Deora II and recently a convertible Deora III. None of these have replaced the original in my affections, but I felt it necessary to have a good quality iteration of the model in my collection, so I managed to score a nice green model on ebay recently, without breaking the bank, Naturally, the surfboards weren't present, so I fashioned a new pair out of plasticard. A lick of paint pen and voila! Ready for Baja once more!
The real version of the wonderful Dodge Deora was recently on display, along with another Hot Wheels classic, by Ed 'Big Daddy' Roth.
Harr Bentley Bradley's sketch of the customisation process. Mattel also released a 'fat' version of the Deora with a deformed body, shorter chassis and exposed engine on the truck bed. Whilst retaining the basic Deora shape, it is no comparison the the original.
My original 1969 Deora, battered and playworn, but still irreplaceable.
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