This 1958 Chrysler Imperial Ultra 7 Pointer 1 is Japan's Batmobile
Sun, 02 Mar 2014It might be sacrilegious to admit among some auto enthusiasts, but there's more to driving than performance and speed. Sometimes it can be a matter of love, as it is for Yasushi Shiroi, who has spent the last 21 years building a faithful replica of a car from a '60s Japanese sci-fi show.
Shiroi's car is the star of the latest video from The Aficionauto and it's truly a labor of love. This machine, which is sort of like a Japanese Batmobile, is based on a 1958 Chrysler Imperial and is designed to recreate a car called the Pointer 1 from the series Ultra 7. The latter was apparently hugely popular when it ran in Japan in 1967 and 1968, and told the story a seven-member team that fought off aliens attacking Earth. While the car in the series never actually ran, Shiroi wanted one that would.
The Pointer 1 has been in constant development since Shiroi has owned it. All of the body modifications have been done in steel, but mechanically, it remains something of a mess. This replica might be slow – and to many people, ugly – but it has brought its owner about as much happiness as a car can, and that's something worth celebrating. Scroll down to check it out.
By Chris Bruce
See also: Consumer Reports says these are the worst new cars of 2014, Chrysler killing off the 200 Convertible, Dodge Avenger, Next Chrysler minivan to get optional AWD, nine-speed auto.